Back In Your Own Backyard
by Nozomi
Summary: Complete. Quatre is a Wanderer, who meets some amazing people when he stops for a rest one day. Will he finally find love and companionship, where he had only hate and betrayal? Or will he find only disaster? 12, 34, SoloxHirde, past 5x22x5
1. Chapter 1

Title: Back in Your Own Backyard 1/2?  
Series: Gundam Wing  
Author: Nozomi Aru  
E-mail: empressminako@yahoo.com  
  
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2, R+D  
Rating: As of now... PG  
Category: AU, magic, sword-stuff  
Warnings: shounen ai (duh), magic (is that even a warning?), magical stuffies  
Archive: Fanfiction.net, entry for Stormcloude's "Coming Out" contest.  
  
-----  
  
~Turn it inside out so I can see  
The part of you that's drifting over me  
And when I wake you're never there  
But when I sleep you're everywhere  
You're everywhere  
  
Just tell me how I got this far  
Just tell me why you're here and who you are  
'Cause every time I look you're never there  
And every time I sleep you're always there   
  
'Cause you're everywhere to me  
And when I close my eyes it's you I see  
You're everything I know that makes me believe  
I'm not alone...~  
-"Everywhere", Michelle Branch  
  
  
  
Quatre had been traveling for weeks, bordering on months now. He was tired; exhausted in all sense of the word. All the little blonde wanted right at that particular moment was to lie down and sleep all his hardships away. However, Quatre had learned the hard way that resting wouldn't solve anything, except maybe to soothe his aching muscles the tiniest bit. If anything, if he allowed himself to relax, his troubles may even catch up with him, something he desperately did not want to occur. And so he trudged onward, making his way along a path it seemed only he could find, to a place even he could only imagine; a place where no one knew him, where no one pitied him. Where no one- anyone- cared about who, or what, he was.  
  
Which is why Quatre now found himself treading half-heartedly down one of the many twisted streets of Tokyo, buried in his own abysmal reflections. He had no map; he was just passing through anyhow, perhaps staying the night if he could acquire lodgings. Though his pack was fairly empty - okay, make that *nearly* empty- it fell like a dead weight against his bruised, aching back. He longed to give his back a respite from the punishment the blonde's body had endured, instead making himself a promise to rest once he found a suitable place to eat. The wanderer began to doubt the probability of ever finding such a place- even considering passing through the bright city entirely in lieu of the food he would be able to locate in the wild parts of Japan- however, when he realized he had used the last of his money a few weeks ago, to repair the strap on his traveler's pack when it had snapped. And there was no way to earn enough money to sate his hunger before he collapsed from over-exertion, Quatre knew.  
  
Barely missing walking right into a mailbox set outside a small building, the blonde finally relinquished his hold on his pack, letting it fall effortlessly to the cement pavement. He was so tired…  
  
"Oi!" a rough summons brought Quatre's mind abruptly out of the daze it had been swimming in, and he looked over towards the opening in the building, where stood a young boy appearing to be around Quatre's age. One never could tell on ages, of course, Quatre would agree to that, however the boy looked un-menacing enough: he was rather short, wearing a black outfit (black, on a day like this? He must be burning up!), with a long fall of chestnut-gold hair spilling down his back, contained within the confines of a pink hair tie. [1] The boy's indigo eyes sparkled like they masked a load of daredevil plans, and by the overall ambiance of the boy, Quatre was almost positive that they did.  
  
"Hey. You look like you could use something to eat. C'mon, I'll whip ya up somethin'."  
  
A wave of gratitude swept through Quatre, but he quashed it quickly. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money."  
  
The boy seemed mysteriously amused by Quatre's statement, even going so far as to let loose a low chuckle before replying. "Ah, that's all right. This one's on the house." he winked, turning and beckoning Quatre with him.  
  
"T-Thank you…"  
  
"No prob. Always happy to help someone in trouble." came the flippant response. "By the way, I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. Welcome to Shinigami's."  
  
One blonde eyebrow quirked up at this. "Shini…gami's? Doesn't that mean-?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I get it all the time. God of Death, and all. It's just a childhood nickname of mine. Sorta hard to explain, sorry."  
  
"You? With a nickname like that? I don't believe it," the blonde stated dubiously, causing another small chuckle to escape Duo's lips.  
  
"Many people don't. You'd really have to meet the guy who gave it to me to get the gist of it, really. So, how long you staying, stranger?"  
  
The remark caught Quatre off guard for a moment. "Uh… Oh. I'm Quatre. Nice to meet you, Duo. To answer your question, I'm probably only staying the night, and that only if I can find a place to stay."  
  
"Ah. So you are a Wanderer, then."  
  
Quatre's head shot up in surprise at the underlying meaning Duo had obviously put into that statement. Did he suspect-? Or worse, did he know-?  
  
"Baka. Give the poor boy something to eat before he faints. It'll be on your head if he dies from hunger because you talk too much," a new, slightly nasal voice interrupted the blonde's thought process, making him jump in shock at the close proximity of the new arrival. He whirled around, coming face-to-face and almost nose-to-nose with another boy, possessing chocolate brown hair and Prussian blue eyes, eyes which shone with an underlying intensity yet to be unleashed.  
  
"Heero," Duo greeted with mock detachment, but the mask couldn't hold for long, as the braided boy's face soon lapsed into a cheerful grin. "What brings you here at this time of the day? I thought you had school."  
  
"I did. I decided to skip class." Heero sent a pointed look, or as pointed as he could manage, towards Duo, obviously indicating Quatre. Grinning, the braided boy nodded and turned to his work, pushing a menu emblazoned with the kanji for 'Shinigami' in front of Quatre's nose as the blonde set himself on a stool.  
  
"Here ya go. Pick whatever ya want, kay? I'd suggest the Deluxe Okanomiyaki, and Heero would vouch for me, ne, Hee-chan?"  
  
"Hn. Baka. Don't put words in my mouth."  
  
Smiling shyly at the playful arguments tossed lightly between the pair, Quatre nodded, setting his laminated menu down. "Sure, I'll have that, then."  
  
If possible, Duo's grin seemed to grow even wider. "Okay then! One Deluxe Okanomiyaki, comin' right up!" he crowed, sending a triumphant smirk in Heero's direction before setting to his work.  
  
As Quatre stared hungrily at the sizzling pancake that Duo had just set on the grill, his sleep- and food-deprived brain gradually became aware of a low melody playing throughout the restaurant, his foot unconsciously tapping along.  
  
"~ Space crew recruiters, data in computers,  
All part of modern life on Earth.  
Faster and better, nothing lasts forever,  
In this crazy Universe  
'Cause we're the Future Girls.  
  
And we move round and round in circles,  
Round and round again…~" [2]  
  
"He-llo~! Earth to Quatre, Quatre, come in man!" Duo's voice once again broke into his meditations. "Order's ready." the boy explained, using a small spatula to flip the aforementioned object onto the plate lying in front of the blonde. "There ya go! Now eat up before it gets cold, buddy." Duo advised, sending Quatre a sly wink before his indigo gaze slid to Heero. "The usual, Hee-chan?"  
  
"Aa." it seemed the youth wasn't much for words, the total opposite of Duo, on the other hand. Heero took a seat next to Quatre, and the blonde thought he caught the youth sending him an odd look, but when he looked closer all he saw was Heero gazing at Duo, almost smiling, as the braided boy worked. So *that* was what Quatre had been sensing between the two. Since Heero had arrived, there had been a palpable tension in the air, something Quatre could almost physically feel. Not a bad sort of tension, really, more like the feeling created when two people were so at ease with each other that the third almost began to feel left out, but not quite. It was, after all, quite an encompassing, comfortable sort of feeling.  
  
Hunger sated, he let loose an involuntary sigh, and it was as if that one release of breath drained all his tightly clutched strength from his body. Quatre felt his eyes begin to close, as he could no longer fight to keep them open. He had been traveling for so long, had traveled so far, he couldn't even remember when he had gotten a good night's sleep, always falling asleep late into the night only to arise at dawn to begin his arduous journey once again.  
  
Through the haze that had begun to cloud his vision, Quatre could vaguely make out the worried expression that crossed Duo's features before his eyes slid shut and he began to slump forward, only for his arms to be caught in an iron grip he supposed was Heero's. He was vaguely aware of being made to climb a flight of stairs, then finally, *finally* being allowed to collapse onto a couch whose embrace was overly warm and inviting to Quatre's worn out frame as the blonde let go of his grip on consciousness and floated in the sweet oblivion of sleep.  
  
*****  
  
His body jerked awake, eyes blinking open to a dark room, the first caresses of dawn only beginning to etch a pattern across the whitewashed walls. To his left, Quatre could hear who he assumed to be Duo snoring away the night- quite loudly, he might add. It seemed everything Duo did was rather loud and slightly obnoxious, including his sleep.  
  
Quatre smiled as his eyes caught sight of his traveling pack, set meticulously next to the couch. It had been cleaned, repaired, and refilled with plenty of supplies, and the blonde's heart swelled at the generosity of Duo and Heero's actions. They were so caring, and he had *nothing* in this ever-loving world to repay them with. He was so pathetic.  
  
A sorrowful sigh escaped his lips as Quatre swung his legs off the couch and bent to pick up his pack. And he wasn't even going to stay long enough to thank the two in person. How grateful did that make him seem? However, he had to keep moving, for his own sake.  
  
He trooped morosely down the stairs to Duo's restaurant, quickly and quietly leaving, and entering the shadowed street beyond. At this hour, all the stores and restaurants were closed, so Quatre settled for finding his own way out of the vast city. Dawn found the blonde making his way through the morning mists hovering over the streets, and as lost as he ever was. All he knew, courtesy of a sign he had passed a few moments earlier, was that he was somewhere in the district of Nerima. A lot of good *that* did him at this point in the game.  
  
Quatre was pleasantly surprised when the sweet, cloying scent of cherry blossoms reached his nostrils through the other pervading scents of the city, and he paused to locate the source of the familiar smell. A few houses down, the wanderer encountered the doorway of a dojo, catching a glimpse of slender trees located on the premises inside. Here was the origin of the wonderful scent.  
  
His eyes scanned the rest of the grounds visible from the street, and, lo and behold, there was a presence seated casually on a wooden walkway, most likely the rear of the house. Cherry blossoms swirled through Quatre's view of the person, who was obviously male. The rising sun cast stark shadows across the boy's sculptured face, his long, reddish-brown bangs falling in a clump across one closed eye. The boy wore a training gi, signifying that he was most likely a martial artist, and Quatre's breath caught in his throat at the scene spread out before him, as of an elegant woven tapestry of old. He did not know for how long he stood there, enraptured by the beauty of it all.  
  
"I've finally found you, Quatre Raberba Winner." once again, a voice broke through his thoughts, though this time the tone was more menacing that jovial, the voice female and rather low. His aqua eyes widened in shock as he jerked around to face his caller, a girl with looks of his age, flowing cornflower hair, steel grey eyes, and almost comically split eyebrows. The girl wielded a seemingly harmless sword, glowing with an ice blue light only Quatre and the girl could see. He caught a breath.   
  
"Dorothy!" How- *why*- was she here, now? He had done nothing wrong, at least nothing he could think of.  
  
"I am here to kill you, Quatre Raberba Winner. Prepare for your death at my hands and the blade of this sword." With no further ado, the girl leapt, swinging a carefully aimed blow at his head. He managed to evade the blade only just in time, stumbling back clumsily and bringing up his hands in a futile gesture to block the next inevitable blow. At the last second he backed up, and the blade only nicked him in the right arm. At that point, however, his luck seemed to have run out, for Dorothy had him cornered against the wall, with no more room to run. He felt his strength and will being sapped from his body, and he cast an anxious glance at the sword in his attacker's grip.  
  
"That sword…!"  
  
The girl's eyes lit with a cool determination as she raised the blade to Quatre's throat, cutting just enough to draw one red pearl of blood, which lazily wound it's way down. Quatre was afraid to swallow, afraid even to breathe, when suddenly, the sword went flying out of Dorothy's hands, clattering to the pavement twenty feet away from where the two stood. He had been rescued!  
  
Turning, Quatre spotted the youth he had been watching not moments before falling into an attack stance. So, *this* was his savior! His eyes darted between the determined youth and a vexed Dorothy, the girl letting loose a loud curse before backing up and snatching the sword from its place on the ground. She moved to point the tip at Quatre.  
  
"This is *far* from over, Quatre. Be aware of that." She announced, before seeming to vanish before their eyes. Quatre's struggle to maintain consciousness failed then, and he lost himself to the tides of unconsciousness.  
  
*****  
  
"Look, I think he's waking up."  
  
Quatre's eyes snapped open, then immediately snapped shut again as he groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow, anything to escape the too-bright light. "Go 'way." He mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"Can't do that, sunshine," came the reply as he was rolled over onto his back again. "Wakey, wakey, Q-chan. Time to rise and shine!" the annoyingly chipper voice at this time in the day was obviously Duo's, Quatre's mind supplied helpfully.   
  
"Duo," he growled sleepily, "omae o korosu."  
  
"… O-kaaay, now he's starting to sound like *you*, Hee-chan."  
  
"Baka. Just wake him up so I can check him."  
  
"Riiiight, whatever." Quatre vaguely wondered how Duo was going to-  
  
One sharp, stinging slap cut across his cheek, then another. "Wakey, wakey! C'mon, Q-man, I don't wanna hafta argue with ya all day."  
  
Reluctantly, Quatre pulled himself out of the haze of post-sleep. "Alright, alright. I'm up already, I'm up already." He announced, sitting up sharply. Bad move, as his vision immediately began to swim before his eyes. He felt Duo's arms prop him up as Heero came into his view.  
  
"Quatre." The Prussian eyed boy acknowledged. "I need to check and make sure you're all right. How do you feel?"  
  
"Um…" Quatre suppressed a wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. "A little dizzy, and sick. A bit sore as well, but it's weird, more like inside bruising than outside."  
  
Heero nodded. "Right. I think somehow your ki, your life energy, was taken from you. You've been asleep for three days, and most of that time you've had a very high fever. It just broke early this morning."  
  
Quatre was shocked. "Three days?!"  
  
"Yes." A new voice agreed. "It seems the sword that girl wielded was magically spelled. You're most likely lucky to be alive." It was the boy, the boy who has saved him from Dorothy.  
  
The blonde glanced around, realizing he was in Duo's apartment above the restaurant again, lying on the couch. "How…?"  
  
Duo shrugged, a grin lighting upon his features. "Oh, *that.* Well, ya see, I woke up to find you gone, and started after ya, when I ran into Trowa here," at this, the braided boy jerked his thumb in the other youth's direction, "who had some sort of crazy story about saving you when you were bein' attacked by some psycho girl with a sword. A girl who *somehow* disappeared into thin air." He stated dubiously. "Now, what *I'd* like to know is why a solid guy like Trowa would lie like that, or why some psychotic killer is after you, whichever's easiest for you."  
  
Quatre swallowed roughly, deciding that a lie would probably work best in this situation. "I-…I have no idea. I've never seen her before in my life."  
  
Duo looked disappointed at this statement. "You're lying. I can tell. Listen, Q-"  
  
"You don't have to tell," Trowa interrupted, even as Heero placed a restraining hand on Duo's shoulder. "You don't have to say a thing. However, information is needed if I- if *we* are going to protect you from whatever it is that hunts you, Quatre."  
  
Tears sprang to the blonde's eyes unbidden. "T-Thank you, Trowa, everyone. But I don't think it would be right to involve you in this. You don't know what I am."  
  
He was speared with a pointed glance from Duo, and Quatre dreaded what the boy was about to say. "You know, you're pretty powerful. Your glamour lasted two and a half days, even with you as weak as you were. We saw your ears, Quatre. And *I* for one know what they mean, and so does Heero." His look softened. "You're part Sidhe, aren't you? You know, you didn't have to hide it from us."  
  
"But I did. Despite all your analysis, you still don't understand. And I can't tell you," he glanced at Trowa, "*any* of you. I just can't. You don't deserve to be mixed up in my problems."  
  
"And what if we want to be?" Trowa inquired, eyes full of some undecipherable emotion. Quatre felt a bond with the taller boy, something that seemed to have been there forever, yet he hadn't even known this boy's name until a few moments ago. What was it about Trowa that drew him so desperately, like a moth to a flame?  
  
"Or we have no choice?" Duo added dryly, adding, at Quatre's astonished look, "From what Tro's told me, this psycho got a good look at him. Do you really think she's just gonna forget that he stopped her from killing you?"  
  
Realizing that, if anything, some information would help, Quatre nodded slightly. "Alright, though I really can't tell you much. I am the youngest in a large family. I figured that I would never share a very large part in the inheritance, so I just decided to leave one day. I have been traveling ever since. Dorothy- the girl you fought, Trowa- is a trained assassin. I have no idea why someone would send her after me, because no one would gain anything by my death."  
  
There was a rather longish pause as the others digested this new information. "Should be easy enough," Duo decided after a while. "Just the one girl, right? Us three against her, 's no problem."  
  
Quatre shook his head at this. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Dorothy is a trained mercenary, a killer. It will not be easy to defeat her." He corrected dejectedly.  
  
Duo was a bit confused. "I think someone's missin' somethin' here, Q-man. Trowa beat her, easy."  
  
"No, he didn't. She was surprised, is all. She did not expect to face much opposition from a surprise attack, and she was right. If Trowa hadn't been there… She retreated only because she was caught off guard at being outnumbered, but she will keep coming until she succeeds at her task, of that I am sure," Quatre stared at Duo, preparing to reveal the *really* depressing information, "She is full Sidhe, Duo. She is immortal. Don't make the mistake of underestimating her, like many have before. And besides, if you guys insist on going up against her, I won't sit back quietly and let you get hurt for my sake. I *can* fight."  
  
The braided boy looked doubtful. "I dunno, Q…"  
  
"Let him," Heero supplied. "It's his decision, his fight, not yours."  
  
Nodding in agreement, Quatre continued. "Heero's right. Just because she surprised me once doesn't mean that I can't hold my own against her in a fair fight. I'm more than able to defend myself, and that's why I really don't need you to-"  
  
"Yeah, but we ain't askin' ya if ya *want* our help, now are we?" Duo inquired, his ever-present grin sly. "So you'll just have to live with it."  
  
Trowa suddenly stood from the chair in which he had been seated. "I need to go. Cathy's probably worried," he supplied, before abruptly turning and heading down the stairs. Duo turned as the emerald-eyed boy took his leave, sending Trowa's back an exaggeratedly puzzled and annoyed look.  
  
"Geez!" the braided boy huffed. "I can't seem to figure that guy out!"  
  
Quatre couldn't help it, but he was curious. "What do you mean?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Duo turned back to the blonde. "Well, first he lugs ya all the way here from Nerima, sits by your side almost the whole damn time, makes me think there's gotta be a reason for it, maybe he wants to talk to ya, is curious or somethin'. Then, as soon as ya come to, he up and leaves! I mean, Tro's always been a bit weird, but *this*-" Duo gestured as if an interpretation of the youth's events was floating, hidden, in the air around them, "this is just plain nuts!" And with that, the indigo-eyed youth sat down in a nearby chair to sulk at the absurdity of it all, breath gusting out of him in a great sigh. "Anyway, that was Trowa for ya. Trowa Barton. He and his sister Catherine, Cathy for short, live in a dojo in the Nerima district, as I've mentioned before. Trowa's into the martial artist thing, I believe. Kung Fu and all that junk."  
  
Astounded at the amazing amount of *words* Duo could utter in such a short time, it took a moment for Quatre to regain his composure and come up with a suitable reply. "…O-Oh? He sounds interesting…"  
  
"Oh, he is," Duo snorted, not quite catching the whole underlying tone of the blonde's purposefully casual statement, as he was momentarily buried in his own funk. He started a bit as Quatre swung his legs over the side of the couch and began to stand up. "Hey, wait- I don't think you should-" when the youth rose without a hitch, however, his voice died in his throat.  
  
"It's ok. I think my energy replenished itself while I was sleeping. I feel much better," Quatre assured. "In fact, I think I have a solution to our dilemma. If I leave now, Dorothy would not be able to catch up for awhile, thus eliminating the need for your protection," He tried to smile convincingly at the pair.  
  
"Uh-uh. No *way* are we letting you go off by yourself again, Q. Believe it or not, you're our friend. And besides, what happens if- *when* this psycho catches up with you again, and there's no one around to help?"  
  
The partial-Sidhe had to admit, Duo's logic was irrefutable, but he still had a bad feeling about letting anyone into his life, and his problems. It just didn't seem right or fair to the others, because Quatre knew that none of them had any idea just who they were up against, but he really couldn't fight against all the solid determination, so instead he just agreed to let them do what they would.  
  
*****  
  
Quatre was presented with a new pair of clothes later that day, courtesy of Duo. Curiously enough, he was also provided with a pair of navy, loose-fitting pants and a red, button-up tunic- both of which were Chinese in style- 'for exercise purposes' Duo told him with a grin. Quatre had accepted these without protest, for he had learned not to argue with Duo; it took too long, and he always ended up just going along with the braided boy in the end anyway.  
  
Then he had met Hirde. The girl had arrived at Duo's restaurant after school and, upon hearing of Quatre's misfortune, immediately took to 'nursing him back to health', despite the boy's protests that he was perfectly all right. The girl was the mother hen of all mother hens, not in an overbearing sort of way, but still enough to soon bring Quatre's nerves on end. In a desperate attempt to obtain a little peace and quiet, the blonde had thanked Hirde kindly for the bowl of chicken soup she had made for him (the fifth one, in fact) and announced that he was going for a walk, calmly declining the girl's offers to accompany him.  
  
That was how he now found himself perched eight feet off the ground in an oak tree in the park, eyes heavy-lidded in serene contentment, enjoying the cool spring breeze as it washed gently over his features. The blonde always did like the outdoors, feeling like he connected with nature more than he did most people- human or otherwise. Not that that was a bad thing, considering the company he usually kept- or rather, was forced to keep.  
  
Crap. *That* had just ruined his mood. He had come here to get *away* from his problems, not to linger on them. However, it seemed they just kept on coming. How convenient.  
  
  
Giving it all up for a lost cause, Quatre sighed, smiling and shaking his head at the absurdity of life in general. Just when you thought you had it all figured out… He moved to push himself out of the tree, but almost fell ungracefully out of it when he felt a grip encircle his ankle and tug slightly. Glaring down and trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, Quatre's gaze turned playfully admonishing as he met with a pair of emerald eyes.  
  
"Trowa! You surprised me!" he blurted, moving to complete his earlier motion and landing easily on the soft grass. Quatre smiled shyly up at the taller youth as Trowa let loose a small chuckle of amusement, and continued. "What brings you here, now?" he inquired.  
  
Trowa's shrug was almost undetectable, if you weren't looking for it. "Just felt like a walk," the youth explained. At this, Quatre's smile brightened a bit.  
  
"My feelings exactly. So, would you like some company? It can be lonely walking by oneself, even with all this beautiful scenery." Quatre hoped his voice didn't sound *overly* hopeful, but he really did want to get to know the mysterious boy who had saved him better, and when Trowa nodded in acquiescence the blonde couldn't help but be overjoyed.  
  
The two loitered about the small park, talking and laughing, and more than once Quatre found himself blushing and gazing appreciatively at Trowa who could, if not exactly hold up his side of the conversation, then at least make the other participant feel at ease. In fact, they talked and enjoyed each other's presence so much that when Quatre finally glanced up at the sky, it was to find that the day had gotten late seemingly instantaneously, the hour most likely pushing 4:30 or even 5:00. Though the blonde was reluctant to leave the comfort of the park, and Trowa's presence, he suspected that if he did not return to Duo's apartment Hirde would most likely call the police or something otherwise over dramatic, and he really couldn't have that. So it was with great heaviness of heart that Quatre bade the green-eyed boy farewell and turned to leave-  
  
-only to be hit in the back with a heavy object which promptly splashed all over his shirt. He whirled, ready for anything, ready for an attack from any side, when-  
  
Wait a minute. *Splashed*?!  
  
A laugh rang out from the bushes in front of him, quickly smothered, but it was enough. He knew that laugh!  
  
"Duo?" he inquired cautiously. Yes, it had to be him-  
  
Another object flew through the air; this time headed for Trowa, who instinctively grabbed at it. The object exploded with water in the strong grip, and now Quatre recognized it. Duo was launching water balloons at them! Moving quickly, he advanced upon the bushes, dodging another casually thrown balloon, and came face-to-face with Duo, Heero, AND Hirde, two of which possessed a bucket laden with water balloons before them. The braided boy laughed and started to back away, but not before Quatre swiped his bucket. Now Heero's was the only one they had left, and the three jumped up and away as Quatre tossed a balloon to Trowa.  
  
"Aw, crap, no fair!" Duo protested lightly, even as he reached for another balloon from Heero's bucket. "Trowa's got perfect aim!"  
  
"You should've thought of that before, ne?" Quatre countered with a malicious gleam in his eye, lobbing a green balloon at Duo's head. The braided boy dodged by a hair, meeting it with a throw of his own, before turning and sprinting away. Quatre was in hot pursuit, launching balloons as he ran.  
  
"Duo, come back here! I'm not through with you yet!"  
  
"Nyah, nyah!"  
  
"Duo~!"  
  
*****  
  
The group stumbled into Shinigami's soaking wet, dripping heavily on the floor, and laughing semi-hysterically, high off the adrenaline rush.  
  
"That was so awesome!" Duo crowed, long bangs plastered to his face. "Did you see the look on that guy's face when you pegged him, Hirde? It was priceless, I tell ya!" Hirde nodded enthusiastically, giggling.  
  
Heero, incidentally, had had perfect aim as well as Trowa, pummeling everyone- including a loudly protesting Duo- with water balloons as fast as he could throw them. Quatre, a natural tactician, resorted to lying in wait behind bushes or in trees before springing his trap on the unsuspecting victim. Unfortunately, the others soon figured out his plan, and then it was *everyone* against Quatre, the blonde laughing and trying to bat away the balloons before they struck. Hirde had been content with targeting nearby pedestrians and merchants set up in the park, and Duo thought it a wonderfully hilarious idea.  
  
As the braided youth burst into another round of raucous laughter, the laughing smile that had been affixed on Quatre's face for the past hour vanished for a split second, as the blonde thought he felt a glimmer of a familiar energy. A shiver went up his spine at the feeling, but he shrugged it off when, as he dealt further, he came upon nothing; not a trace.  
  
Any person not paying much attention to him would not have noticed the miniscule change in Quatre's presence as his system was given a little shock, but Trowa was an unusually attentive person when it came to his surroundings. The taller boy set a comforting hand on Quatre's shoulder, gazing with inquisitive eyes as the blonde turned to him. The idle chatter Duo had been kindling fell to a hush as he noticed this action, and he peered at them both with narrowed indigo eyes.  
  
"Oh, man! Tro's doin' that creepy psychic thing again! I can tell! C'mon, man, quit it with the spooky stuff and spill!" he pushed, causing Quatre to shake his head in the negative.  
  
"No, it's nothing. I'm just tired, is all. And-" as if one cue, his stomach growled noisily. "-hungry," he added sheepishly, grinning at Duo's immediate laughter.  
  
And so the night wore one, none of their group suspecting the events that would occur not too long after, while a black-robed figure spied on them through a nearby window...  
  
-----  
  
[1] Ya ever notice Duo is wearing a pink hairtie in some of the piccies? ^.^  
  
[2] The first part of the song "Future Girls", I dunno who it's by. -.-;  
  
So... what do ya think? It's my first 3+4, and one of my first GW fics. Comments are appreciated. ^.^  
  
Nozomi Aru  
Kitsune no Youko 


	2. Chapter 2

Reviewer's Corner:  
  
"Ayumi" says:  
  
"Oi! It's very very good. It holds much intrest for me, and I love Trowa and Quatre fanfics.  
  
Please finish...your writings rock!"  
  
^.^ Thanks! I'm glad you like it! I love Trowa and Quatre fics, too! -.-; Anyway, you can thank my nagging muse Threnody for getting this out. She just kept pummeling me with ideas.  
  
  
  
"Rocky" says:  
  
"This was different. I would suggest that you tell a little more of the background later on because I wasn't quite sure of what was going on. Of course that could be how you wanted it, but please do provide the background."  
  
Different, hm? I... *think* that's what I was trying for. ^.^; Yes, I was purposely withholding facts so things would be somewhat of a surprise later, and most of it should be explained in this chapter. If not, feel free to review and let me know what else I need to clarify, okies? ^.^  
  
  
  
"Monophobia" says:  
  
PUT THE NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON!!!!!!  
  
Threnody: ... O-kay...  
  
Nozomi: C'mon, Thren-chan, time to post the next chapter for the poor girl's sake.  
  
Threnody: What if it's a guy?  
  
Nozomi: Um... -.-; Then, for the poor persons's sake, okay?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Title: Back in Your Own Backyard 2/3  
  
Series: Gundam Wing  
  
Author: Nozomi Aru  
  
E-mail: empressminako@yahoo.com  
  
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2, possible R+D  
  
Rating: As of now... PG, maybe PG-13 to be safe  
  
Category: AU, magic, sword-stuff  
  
Warnings: shounen ai (duh), magic (is that even a warning?), magical  
  
stuffies  
  
Archive: Fanfiction.net, entry for Stormcloude's "Coming Out" contest.  
  
-----  
  
~There's a magic only two can tell  
  
(In the dark night)  
  
Ultra Violet is a wicked spell  
  
The stars and planets taking shape  
  
A stolen kiss has come to late  
  
(In the moonlight)  
  
Carry on, keep romancing  
  
Carry on, carry on dancing...~  
  
- Savage Garden, Carry On Dancing  
  
  
  
**2 Months Prior**  
  
"Quatre-niisan!" Kelly, the blonde boy's 4-year-old (and only) younger sister, zipped down the hallway in typical speeding toddler fashion. Giggling pseudo-insanely, the small child clutched the large white paper in her hands tighter as she reached her big brother's room, knocking erratically. Her summons received no apparent answer, and she banged louder, only to receive the same treatment over again. Where was her niisan? Kelly's eyebrows narrowed in the usual toddler exaggerated confusion, and she turned, lumbering down the hallway towards her sister Ireia's room, determined to locate her big brother. Sometimes Quatre- niisan hid out in Ireia-neesan's room, after all.  
  
"Ireia-neesan?" the child questioned tentatively, pushing the partially open door further in. She found her big sister lying on her bed, reading, and Kelly smiled a devil-may-care grin, launching herself up onto the bed with an unearthly shriek of pure joy. Her big sister smiled at the girl's antics and set her book down.  
  
"Kelly-chan. What have you got there?"  
  
"A present! For you and niisan!" the little girl thrust it into her sister's hands. "Here! It's a drawing!" she smiled brightly as Ireia took the picture and studied it closely, gaze lighting upon the simple sketch.  
  
It was a drawing, in brightly colored marker, of Ireia, Kelly and Quatre. Ireia herself was in the foreground, limbs one thin yellow line, her dress with an outline of fusia. She was holding a small figure that Ireia guessed to be Kelly, the small child showing an almost maniacal crimson grin and arms flailing wildly. Quatre was grinning in the background, and, now that Ireia was actually taking a closer look, she could make out a figure in gray next to her little brother, arm looped casually around his waste. Puzzled, she looked up at Kelly and pointed to this mysterious figure.  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
"Oh, that's niisan's Bond, silly! Don't you 'member Papa talking about him prob'ly gettin bonded 'cause he was special?" Kelly stated, plopping herself into a more comfortable spot on the bed and tugging at her oddly pointed ear, evidence that she was only part Sidhe, the Irish term for what the Americans call "Elf", or "Faerie". Of course, those of the Fae kind didn't particularly *like* being called Fairies.  
  
A vaguely concerned look crossed Ireia's face for an instant, before it vanished in wake of a slight smirk. Setting the paper down, she carefully reached over and lifted Kelly off the bed, setting her gently on the ground, then resolutely handing her down the drawing. "Here. Go show this to Quatre now, okay?"  
  
"She can't, sister dearest." came the smug reply from her doorway. Glancing up, she saw the figure of her older sister, Rila, resting casually against the doorframe, long white-blonde hair hanging into and concealing her eyes. "He's gone."  
  
-----  
  
"You have your orders."  
  
"Yes, lady."  
  
"Do you know where you will find him? He must not be able to escape, at any cost."  
  
"Yes, lady."  
  
"His presence threatens my future, you know. You must not fail me, or any of the others."  
  
"No, lady. I will not fail you."  
  
"Good. Go now, and do not return until your task has been completed. Make sure he knows that death is the only way out of his journey, and then grant him that one small relief, won't you?"  
  
"Yes, lady."  
  
-----  
  
"You know what you must do?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You must not let him escape. You will find him?"  
  
"Yes, lord."  
  
"Of course you will. You have never failed in a job before, have you?"  
  
"No, lord."  
  
"Good. Make sure your task is completed quickly. I want to hear no disturbances about it."  
  
"Yes, lord."  
  
-----  
  
"Father!" Ireia burst into her father's elaborate room, causing the tall, stately figure to turn towards her. "Quatre's missing!"  
  
"What?!" Milan countered incredulously. "Where could the boy have gone?"  
  
"I don't know." She stated, casting an uneasy glance at the dark-robed figure next to her father. This member of her father's hired group of assassins was always so… *silent* in her presence, though she was pretty sure he talked to Kelly and her father. "He wasn't in his room when Kelly went looking for him, and now we can't find him anywhere."  
  
"Send out a search party at once. He couldn't have gotten very far."  
  
Ireia nodded and left, closing the door behind her. When he was completely sure she was gone, Milan turned to the dark shadow next to him.  
  
"Apollyon."  
  
"Yes, sir"  
  
-----  
  
**Present**  
  
Duo whizzed by a struggling Quatre, laughing as the blonde sent him a vexed look. He flailed his arms wildly, leaning forward and trying to keep his tentative balance.  
  
"Duo, wait up!"  
  
And failing miserably. As Hirde shot by as well, Quatre's attention was brought off his own endeavors, and he tipped back, his eyes snapping shut in anticipation, only to feel a warm pair of hands grab hold of his shoulders and steady him. He tilted his head and gazed in gratitude up at Trowa, smiling his shy smile. At this angle, Quatre could view under Trowa's fall of reddish-brown hair, and actually see both of the taller youth's emerald eyes. He thought he caught a glimpse of a smile on Trowa's face before the taller youth let go of him.  
  
Quatre had been in Tokyo for a week, and he couldn't have been happier. There had been no more attempts on his life by Dorothy, and the presence he had felt that night after the water balloon fight had almost been forgotten - almost. There *had* been a few times that week that Quatre had thought he had felt the power again…  
  
But today was not a day for worries. With the sun bright, the sky a cloudless blue, and school out for the weekend, today was a day to relax and enjoy one's good fortune in life. So Duo had suggested they go roller- blading down the streets of Tokyo, and Quatre had borrowed a pair of skates from Heero, who happened to have two, and the group now found themselves outside, enjoying the day. Unfortunately, Quatre had forgotten one little thing- what with all the other duties he had had to learn during his childhood, he had never learned to skate. Duo had sent him an incredulous look at this statement, and had nearly opened his big mouth when Hirde beat him to the punch, offering to help Quatre as they went skating. The blonde had accepted her offer, but once the group actually made it out onto the streets, the girl had promptly forgotten her promise in lieu of Duo's taunting and teasing, and Trowa had become Quatre's unvoiced assistant.  
  
Not that the blonde minded all that much, for it gave him an excellent chance to interact with Trowa, even if there wasn't a whole lot of conversation being put forth.  
  
Duo spun around and skated back towards the two, an 'I-Know-Something-You- Don't-Know' look alighting upon his features.  
  
"Hey, Q-man!" the braided boy yelled, reaching the blonde and pulling him suddenly away from Trowa. "C'mon! I got somethin' to show ya!" Duo tugged a slightly protesting Quatre along, Heero pulling up beside the two with a smirk on his face.  
  
-----  
  
It was a statue, but it was also much more than that. It towered over Quatre's head, the majestic figure of a woman with incredibly long hair and piercing eyes. Water flowed from the bowl she held in her right hand, as well as from the pedestal at her feet, into a large tile circle, with room on the edge for visitors to sit and rest. The lady put out such a noble air, yet her face was that of sadness, of sorrow running deep.  
  
Hirde was already sitting and hurriedly removing her skates, and Duo motioned to Quatre as the others did the same. "Hurry up already! We don't got all day, ya know!" he grinned and slapped the blonde on the back as Quatre complied.  
  
As Quatre stripped his second skate off, Hirde had already finished and flashed a grin at the others, jumping up. "Race ya!" she called, turning and sprinting off. Heero was not far behind, followed closely by Duo, who protested at Hirde's lead but didn't seem to mind all that much. Quatre and Trowa pulled in last, the taller youth waiting for Quatre as the boy's shorter legs kept him from quite catching up to the other three. Hirde, mostly due to her head start, reached the place they were heading to (whatever it was) first, laughing as she spun in erratic circles across the square marked off in 4 inch holes in the ground. An instant later, Duo and Heero caught up to her, the former sputtering as water splashed across his face. The source of the liquid was the holes, as they began to spout water, some pillars dying or starting up in turn, the pattern creating a scene in which a beautiful dance seemed to be mirrored by the airborne droplets emitted into the sky.  
  
Quatre had paused to admire the beauty of the picture, but was suddenly jerked forward by a laughing Duo, into the resounding spray. With a slight push, the blonde found himself stumbling straight toward one of the watery towers, arms flailing a bit wildly as his body met with the pressure of the water. He heard Hirde laugh as he stepped back and wiped the water from his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Suddenly, he whirled and shoved blindly, hoping to catch Duo off guard, but instead pushing an unsuspecting Hirde into the nearest fountain, where she landed unceremoniously on her butt, and got the strangest look on her face.  
  
The girl muttered a, "*That's* an interesting feeling," and jumped up again, Quatre figuring out why as the fountain was still spouting water, and Hirde's butt had served as a plug for an instant. He laughed and grabbed hold of her hands, pulling her into a crazy and erratic swirling dance through the spouting fountains, droplets of water sparkling in a rainbow of colors as they seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. His laughter must have been infectious, for Hirde soon joined him, and out of the corner of his eye Quatre spotted Duo grinning and practically guffawing as the indigo eyed boy spread his arms wide and began to spin in wandering circles much like Hirde had done earlier, his braid flinging out behind him like a living thing, slicing through any nearby fountains shooting up.  
  
Heero seemed content to simply stand in the wake of a fountain and inconspicuously watch Duo cavorting around like a small child- that is, until said braided youth made his way over to the quiet boy and seized Heero's hands, swinging him around once before letting go and sending Heero sprawling into an unsuspecting Quatre and Hirde. Hirde jumped up immediately, yelled a, "What'd you do THAT for?" for good measure, then rushed straight at Duo, eyes glittering mischievously. Quatre was totally unprepared, however, when, instead of getting payback on the longhaired boy, Hirde turned and shoved a surprised Trowa into him. The blonde was pushed off balance and went crashing to the ground, pulling Trowa with him, where the tall youth landed -*gulp*- on top of him.  
  
Waitaminute - since when was he nervous about something like THIS? Sure, he liked Trowa and all, but-  
  
-but what?  
  
Quatre chose to ignore that thought, instead grasping the helping hand Trowa lent him once the taller boy stood up. He flashed a smile of gratitude at Trowa before shoving him back into Hirde.  
  
And thus began an all-out, full-scale water war.  
  
-----  
  
For the second time in less than a week, Quatre was soaked from head to toe. At least he could find some comfort in the fact that the other four were as wet as he was.  
  
Fully tired out from the strenuous day, the group made its way back to the fountain where their skates were. Quatre couldn't help but spare another glance at the regal figure of the woman in the center of the structure. It was almost as if she was calling to him, through some unnoticed part of his mind. The gentle sound of the water pouring from her ceramic bowl seemed to beckon to the blonde, and, unnoticed to the others who were already securing their blades, Quatre reached out a hand, straining slightly to reach the figure. Almost there… He could almost touch it…  
  
That familiar, dark presence flared up in the trees nearby, and Quatre jerked back just as his fingers brushed the statue, but it wasn't soon enough to fully escape the blue sparks that flared up from the contact point. They burned! He winced and stuck his fingers in his mouth, losing his balance just as Duo said, "Hey, what's wro-" but the blonde didn't hear the rest of the question, as he fell with a great crash into the fountain.  
  
Well, at least he was already wet.  
  
-----  
  
Monday night found the group, minus Hirde, having dinner at Trowa's house. The girl of the group had apologized profusely, but she claimed to have a previously arranged date with someone named Solo. Duo had teased her to no end about that, until Heero had silently reached down and yanked on the longhaired boy's braid, quieting him down instantly. All this had left Quatre a bit baffled, but, perhaps very wisely, he chose not to ask.  
  
Duo had been quite persistent when it came to the happenings of the previous weekend, but his will had been contested by Quatre's own, who refused to admit it was anything but his own carelessness. The longhaired boy was convinced that it was a sneaky attack by Dorothy on Quatre's life, and Quatre secretly agreed with him, but he did not mention sensing the dark presence again, nor did he outwardly agree with Duo, for, though the others had offered to help him, Quatre knew some things would have to be handled by him and him alone. Duo had been a bit quieter than usual since then, almost as if he was contemplating something.  
  
Trowa's older sister met the three at the door.  
  
"Hi guys," she smiled, eyes alighting upon the addition to their usual group. "Ah, and you must be Quatre. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Catherine Bloom, Trowa's older sister. I've heard so much of you from tall, dark and silent over there." She smiled and gestured for the small group to come in.  
  
Dinner was nothing fancy, mainly stir-fry and rice, plus some okanomiyaki Duo had brought along, but it was enough to feed them all. Much to Duo's delight, the sake flowed freely, and the laughter was all but scarce. It seemed Heero was there mainly to keep Duo from making a fool of himself, for the sullen-looking youth neither talked much nor ate much.  
  
Quatre caught himself glancing around many times during the course of their meal. The walls were so thin! Compared to what he was used to, they may as well be made of paper. They were probably amazingly durable, though.  
  
He found that out up-close-and-personal soon after.  
  
"Hey, Quatre!" Duo exclaimed once everyone had finished their meal. "You bring those clothes I gave you?" At the blonde's negative, Duo looked him over. "Aw, I think what you're wearing will do, anyway." The chestnut haired boy jumped up, circling around the table to haul Quatre to his feet. "C'mon. I got something to show ya," he grinned and led the blonde down a hallway to another sliding door, the others following closely. Behind lay a flat expanse of… well, nothing, really. It was just an empty room.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"This… is the training area." Duo announced with an overdone sweep of his hand. "It's where Tro practices his martial arts stuff, and why I gave you those clothes." He winked and walked further into the room. "Why don't you guys have a match? You against Trowa and me against Heero, huh? I've been waiting to have a rematch with Heero ever since he ground my head into the ground that first time." Duo winced at the memory, still grinning. Behind him, Quatre saw Heero smirk before grabbing hold of Duo's braid and dragging him to the center of the room. The blonde smiled at the halfhearted protesting the indigo-eyed boy started, before realizing that Heero had already let go of his braid. It seemed Duo could find hints to romantic feelings in all his friends, but couldn't see them when they were right in front of his face. Of course, the fact that Quatre could sometimes sense emotions helped him to figure it out, but still…  
  
Duo and Heero had already begun; the chestnut haired youth starting out by rushing straightforward at his sparring partner. Heero easily dodged it, of course; he landed one sharp blow to Duo's face as he whirled around. In retaliation, Duo swept a kick towards Heero's legs, attempting to knock him to the ground. The failure of that move seemed to be expected, as he swung one carefully aimed punch at Heero's stomach - which was blocked by the Prussian eyed boy's iron grip. In one swift, fluid motion, Duo was flipped over, landing solidly on his back, with Heero on top of him holding his wrists to the wooden floor.  
  
It was finished.  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and sat up, cursing. "Shoulda figured you'd still beat the shit outta me," He accepted the helping hand Heero offered, standing up with a slight groan.  
  
"Hn. You didn't perform at maximum efficiency," Heero noted.  
  
Duo shrugged, "So I was careless. Next time I'll get you, Heero Yuy," he replied playfully. It seemed to Quatre that Duo blew off Heero's remark too quickly, but he had no time to ponder it, as the braided boy was suddenly in front of him, urging the blonde to have a match with Trowa, "just to see if you're as good as you claim."  
  
-----  
  
He had been beaten.  
  
In shock, Quatre took the offered hand. Trowa had actually beaten him. He, who had been trained practically from birth! Of course, it had been a close match till the end, but… If he had only not been mesmerized by the look in those emerald green eyes for that one second! That, for sure, had been his downfall. Really, though, how could someone *not* notice how Trowa's eyes seemed to blaze when he was concentrating really hard? Or how nimble the quite boy was? Or how he could bend in so many ways…?  
  
No. Bad Quatre. Don't think like that. This was not the time to be thinking such things.  
  
Duo was congratulating him. Quatre shook himself out of his trance in time to hear the longhaired boy exulting in how well he did against Trowa. He smiled and brushed his blue jeans and Linkin Park T-shirt, courtesy of Duo, of any dust or dirt, then followed the others to where Catherine called them for a desert of flavoured ice.  
  
After the sweet treat, Quatre found himself wandering the house, by chance coming upon a room filled from end to end with books, much to his delight. Ever since he was a little child, he had loved to read. Books took him away, away from the real world and all his real problems, away from the noise of everyday life, and just away from everything. From fantasy books to science fiction, from mystery to horror, Quatre enjoyed many kinds of books. His favorite series was most likely the Xanth novels, by Piers Anthony [1], but his all-time favorite novel would have to be possibly the best ghost story Quatre had ever read: The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson [2]. The psychological thriller was by far the best overall story he had seen. The characters were interesting and fun, ranging from skeptical Luke to Theo, most definitely a woman of the world. However, the person Quatre most connected with was Eleanor, Nell for short. The woman at first seemed so timid and shy, locked in her own self- constructed shell, but in fact she possessed a very strong spirit underneath the fragile exterior, and that's what drew Quatre to her especially; her inner strength.  
  
Aha! And Trowa had it! He smiled and took it off the shelf. It had been so long since he had read it…  
  
He jumped, startled, as Duo bounded noisily into the room.  
  
"Hey, Q! Whatcha got there?"  
  
The blonde turned the cover so it was facing his friend. "Arguably the best psychological thriller ever written," he explained. "It's also my favorite book ever." He couldn't help but grin at the silly way that sounded when said aloud, but Duo didn't seem to notice.  
  
"Ah, cool. Maybe Tro'll let ya borrow it, huh?" the longhaired boy winked and snatched the book from Quatre's hands, turning and sprinting out of the room. "Hey, Tro! Q-man wants to borrow one of your books!"  
  
"Duo, come back here with that!"  
  
The braided boy laughed and continued running, his long rope of hair trailing behind him. He led Quatre through most of the house before coming upon the others again and throwing the book onto the table in front of Trowa with much ado. Quatre skidded up behind him, almost running face first into his back, but stopping himself just in time. Or maybe not -it would've served the joker right for them both to have fallen to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.  
  
Pause.  
  
Oh. Bad, rampant, raging hentai mind.  
  
Trowa reached for the book, whose cover was flat against the surface of the table. Catherine, however, beat him to it, snatching it up just out of his reach.  
  
"Oh, *this* one! I'd forgotten we had it. It was Mother's favorite." She smiled and handed the book back to Quatre, who unconsciously almost cuddled it to his chest. Geez, protective much? The blonde smiled gratefully at Catherine, and Trowa stood up, motioning for Quatre to follow him.  
  
"If you're interested in those types of books, I think we have some others you may like."  
  
-----  
  
He had listened to drums off somewhere in the black. He had slid into dark caverns to feel tarantulas and snakes running over or striking his boots; he had once awakened with a moccasin slithering out from under his top blanket; he had mocked at curses; he had once taken a cane knife from a drunken native-  
  
A sigh.  
  
"Why?"  
  
A whimpering complaint.  
  
"Where?"  
  
Fear's sadistic fingers reached in and found his heart and aped its regular rhythm to send his blood coursing in his throat. Just the moan of the wind under a door and the protest of the curtain and the rattle of the sash and the moon's cold blue light upon the bottom of his bed-  
  
The door opened slowly and the curtain streamed straight out as the wind leaped into the room from the window. The door banged and the wall shivered. And a white shape was moving slowly towards him on soundless feet and a white face gleamed dully above a glittering knife. Nearer and nearer-  
  
-----  
  
A hand on his shoulder.  
  
Quatre jerked upwards, crying out in fear and surprise.  
  
But it was Duo, grinning knowingly at him. The blonde set down his book, turning to face his friend with a pout upon his features. "What do you want? You know you… startled me."  
  
"Oh, I think I did more than 'startle', Q. I can see you're all hyped up from the adrenaline rush of… hm… fear, is it?" he smirked as Quatre glanced guiltily at one of the books he had borrowed from Trowa. It was entitled, appropriately enough, 'Fear', by L. Ron Hubbard [3]. And Quatre was drinking it in like water to a man dying of thirst. He loved to scare himself.  
  
Silly. Most everyone does. That was why the horror genre was so popular. Though he had been surprised to learn that Trowa had or knew of so many ghost- and demon-filled novels. The martial artist just didn't seem to Quatre like the type to stay up late at night, enraptured with devils and demons, jumping in fright at the merest sound for hours afterward.  
  
It took all types, he supposed. Especially since he had thought Duo for the more action-packed stuff, but instead the longhaired boy had expressed a delight in fantasy novels, whenever he had the chance to read them. Which wasn't much, considering he was managing his own restaurant, not to mention spending so much time with him- Quatre was instantly stabbed with guilt at distracting Duo from his dream. Particularly since he didn't know how long he'd actually be staying here in Tokyo.  
  
He felt the guilt well up inside of him. He really shouldn't have stayed. If Dorothy hadn't appeared at that particular moment, he would have been long gone before Duo even knew he left.  
  
But sometimes Fate likes to try her hand at the game of life, and things go awry. Whether for good or bad, one wouldn't know until much later.  
  
Duo settled himself next to Quatre, the couch tilting downward as he did so.  
  
"So…"  
  
Strange. Duo was a bit tongue-tied, it seemed. It was definitely a side of the longhaired boy Quatre hadn't seen, or even glimpsed, before.  
  
"So…" he replied in turn, waiting for Duo to continue. He wasn't disappointed, but it was several moments before the dark silence was broken.  
  
"So. About that strange energy that's been following us around for the past couple of days."  
  
So indeed. "Mm-hmm?"  
  
"… You know anything about it?"  
  
"You felt it too?"  
  
"Mm,"  
  
"Oh. Not really. It seems familiar, but-… Have you told anyone else about it?"  
  
"No. Haven't gotten the chance. You?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Good."  
  
And with that, Duo stood, stretching and yawning. "Well, I think I need to get myself to bed. G'night, Q."  
  
"'Night."  
  
Curiouser and curiouser.  
  
Well, back to reading.  
  
-----  
  
Laughing, Duo fell into the water with a great splash, courtesy of a push from Quatre.  
  
Unlike the others, this soaking was deliberate.  
  
Quatre giggled and joined Duo in the deeper end of the pool, making sure to accidentally-on purpose dowse his indigo-eyed friend with water as he entered. Hirde had once again joined their group for another rousing outing, Duo teasing her about not inviting her boyfriend. The shorthaired girl had just blushed and whapped him upside the head in response.  
  
Heero and Trowa were here, too, but, being the antisocial reclusives they were, both had chosen to lounge on the cheap chairs the pool place provided.  
  
It seemed Duo would have none of that, however. With a mischievous grin, he turned to wink at Quatre, before creating a tsunami of a killer splash- wave- straight at tall, dark and silent times two. Trowa had had the good sense to position himself just out of Duo's splashing range, but it seemed like Heero was just waiting for a reason to come in after Duo, for he jumped up almost before the chilling water touched his skin. Duo backed up quickly, turning to swim away, all the while calling an, "Aw, shit, man! Don't kill me, Heero!" over his shoulder. Quatre found the whole thing funny. Duo must have known what his actions would cause, of course. He just seemed to love to find a reason to be near Heero, although Quatre wondered if such thinking was on an unconscious level of Duo's mind.  
  
As Hirde made her way over to try and 'rescue' her friend from Heero's wrath, Quatre aquamarine eyes traveled to Trowa, who lay basking underneath the golden sun. Clad only in a forest green swimsuit.  
  
Gulp.  
  
He had to forcibly remove his eyes from the sight, dropping his head underwater to hide his blush, the hushed conversation he and Duo had had on the way to the pool rushing to the front of his mind.  
  
~"…you like him… don't you?"~  
  
~Blush.~  
  
~"…should tell…"~  
  
~"…noticed…?"~  
  
~"…can tell…no way… talk to him…understand…"~  
  
Yeah, right. *He* didn't understand it himself, so how in the world could Trowa begin to understand?  
  
~"…worth a try…"~  
  
Damn. Duo was right, of course. He just didn't want to face the proverbial music so soon. It wasn't like he could just waltz up to the taller boy and produce a conversation along the lines of, "I'm gay! I love you! I love you too! SNOG!" [4]  
  
Ew. That was… not normal. Where did *that* come from?  
  
He sighed and lifted his head for a breath of air. Quatre would contemplate just NOT coming up for air at all, but he doubted it would really get him out of this mess. With his luck, Duo would follow him into the afterlife as some sort of bat-winged creature and demand that he confess to Trowa, or prepare to be poked into a second death by way of his sharp black prong-thing!  
  
Another one. WHERE were these ideas stemming from? Was he oxygen deprived or something?  
  
He was evading the inevitable, and he knew it. But it was so much easier to evade that to confront.  
  
Quatre caught Duo's eye, and the chestnut haired boy gave him an encouraging wink, before being dunked by Heero again.  
  
Oh well. Here goes nothing. He pulled himself out of the pool with small effort, making his meandering way towards Trowa, who now had his eyes closed. Oh, he hoped Trowa wasn't asleep. Or maybe he hoped he was. Whatever.  
  
The blonde leaned his arms on the top of the reclining chair, trying to decide whether to wake Trowa if he really WAS asleep, when the emerald eyes slid open to stare up at him.  
  
Well, so much for that.  
  
"H-Hey."  
  
"Hi."  
  
He was suddenly nervous.  
  
Scratch that, he had already BEEN nervous; now he was a wreck.  
  
Breath, Quatre. Just breath.  
  
He turned and sat suddenly in a lawn chair next to Trowa. "Trowa, I… have something… I need to confess…"  
  
"I know."  
  
The head of blonde hair jerked up in surprise. WHAT?  
  
Screw it, he was asking if it killed him. "What…?"  
  
"I'm gay."  
  
Oh, god. If the word "SNOG" was inserted anywhere NEAR the end of this conversation, Quatre would kill something. Literally. And he wasn't even a killer.  
  
"You… are?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Well. *That* was a relief. He smiled, and noticed Trowa had sat up. When had they gotten so close to each other?  
  
No matter. He could feel himself begin to lean towards the taller boy, his eyes sliding shut as Trowa did the same-  
  
He almost kissed cold steel as a sword was inserted right between their faces; his eyes snapped open as he jerked back.  
  
"Freeze, halfling."  
  
Dorothy!  
  
He jumped up, falling into his fighting stance. She wasn't going to catch him off guard this time, not if he could help it!  
  
Quatre heard Duo and the others halt their play, and he suddenly realized they were the only ones at the pool. Stupid. He should have realized she'd attack where there weren't too many witnesses!  
  
That infernal smirk was playing across the assassins' features as she leveled the sword at Quatre.  
  
"You're time has come. I told you I would return, and I don't play games. You must die."  
  
She lunged, and he ducked, landing a solid blow to her side, but it didn't even faze her. Think! She's full Sidhe; of course the normal methods wouldn't work nearly as well! The blonde grimaced as Dorothy lashed out, catching him on the side of his face with her long, pointed nails. At least it wasn't the sword, though. Then it would have all been over.  
  
He struck, trying to do her at least *some* damage- and reeled back as a shadowy figure flitted past. A long line of blood appeared on Dorothy's arm, and she cursed, turning to face this new arrival. The move was also very insulting to Quatre, for it showed that she did not believe he was a threat.  
  
The black-robed figure handled his sword menacingly at Dorothy. "Leave, woman. You're presence, and you're mission, is not welcome here. Go tell your superiors of your second failure, and beg for their forgiveness."  
  
Dorothy's eyes were riveted to the sword. "Apollyon." She hissed, seemingly undecided between a frontal attack or fleeing.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She turned and fled. For now.  
  
The robed figure approached Quatre, who relaxed out of his attack stance but still looked overly depressed. He knew now who had been following him this whole time.  
  
Duo, Hirde and Heero left the pool, coming to stand behind Quatre as the one called Apollyon came to kneel in front of the blonde, pulling back his hood to reveal raven hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and eyes of deepest onyx. His name was Wufei, and he was one of the best of the King's Guard.  
  
"I have come to take you back home, Prince Quatre."  
  
-----  
  
[1] Xanth series - I love it! It's a magical mix of puns, fantasy, and romance! Check it out if ya haven't already!  
  
[2] The Haunting of Hill House - I confess, I haven't yet read the book, because it was checked out when I went to the library to get it. But I HAVE seen the movie, which was awesome, I might add. So any and all information was taken from my observations on the movie.  
  
[3] L. Ron Hubbard's 'Fear' - It's not really one of my favorite books, but I was on the horror genre, and needed something for Quatre-sama to read, and since it's one of the only horror stories I have…  
  
[4] The words, "I'm gay! I love you! I love you too! SNOG!", (which are, in themselves, quite humorous to me) came from a reply to a reader review in the Megami Kouhosei (Candidate for Goddess/ Pilot Candidate) fic known as "29 Seconds to Drown" by Beck on ff.net. It's a great Hiead/Zero story, with just a dash of lime into the mix. My favorite. ^.^  
  
Questions, comments, criticism? I can handle it! ^.^ I hope this chapter explained things that were brought up in the first chapter a bit better. If not, please point out what I need to make clear. One more chapter to go, minna! 


	3. Chapter 3

"White rain"says:  
  
"I really don't like crossovers..."  
  
Threnody: Well, good thing this isn't a crossover, as far as I can tell... o.o  
  
Nozomi: Oh, quit. You know she meant 'cliffhangers'. See, it says it right here.  
  
  
  
"heather" says:  
  
"Try to weave a few more details in, your making the same mistakes that most newbies make, and that is to asume that your readers know something. They don't. YOU have to tell them what's going on, and YOU are responsible for that, because it's YOUR fic.  
  
Otherwise, a very good fic."  
  
Threnody: Is she talking about the Sidhe thing?  
  
Nozomi: I think so. Thanks for your input, Heather. I added a bit to chapter 2 that explains that, if that's what you're talking about. I hope everything else is clear enough, and the Sidhe thing is explained a bit more in this part. Hirde to the rescue! ^.^  
  
  
  
"Moon Dragon" says:  
  
"I really like this fanfic! ^^ Please do more soon!  
  
P.S. Maybe I'm just dumb or something, but will you explain soon what a Sidhe is?"  
  
Nozomi: Sure! Sorry about the confusion before. And you're not dumb. ^.^ If you don't want to check the 2nd chapter to find the explanation, I have a detailed one woven into this chapter as well, courtesy of Quatre and Hirde. ^.^  
  
  
  
"silver dragon rising phoenix" says:  
  
"must...have...more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
This is really good. The plot is wonderful."  
  
Threnody: Ooh! Cool name! ... Can I have it?  
  
Nozomi: *whaps her over the head* Stick to the story!  
  
Threnody: *pouts* Ok...  
  
Nozomi: Anyway, thanks so much, Phoenix-san! Here it is!  
  
  
  
And thanks go to Rocky, as well. Let me know if anything isn't clear after this. Well, besides the ending, which is purposely left like that. ^.^;  
  
  
  
-----  
  
Title: Back in Your Own Backyard 3/4  
  
Series: Gundam Wing  
  
Author: Nozomi Aru  
  
E-mail: empressminako@yahoo.com  
  
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2/1x2, possible R+D later, past 5x2/2x5, slight 5+4 (blink and you'll miss it!)  
  
Rating: As of now... PG, maybe PG-13 to be safe  
  
Category: AU, magic, sword-stuff  
  
Warnings: shounen ai (duh), magic (is that even a warning?), magical  
  
stuffies  
  
Archive: Fanfiction.net, entry for Stormcloude's "Coming Out" contest.  
  
-----  
  
~ I've got a little hunch that there is something going on now  
  
The clothes I bought, the friends I've got, my teacher had a meltdown  
  
Then I look at me, and I start to see, and a voice inside tells me what I must do  
  
Wake up, who knew, it's me, it's you, get a clue  
  
It's still inside of you (oh, yeah)  
  
Get a clue  
  
There's nothing you can do  
  
And nothing's ever quite what it seems  
  
Just look a little closer at me  
  
Wake up, who knew, it's me, it's you, get a clue…~  
  
--Simon & Milo, "Get A Clue"  
  
  
  
Duo, Hirde and Heero left the pool, coming to stand behind Quatre as the one called Apollyon came to kneel in front of the blonde, pulling back his hood to reveal raven hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and eyes of deepest onyx. His name was Wufei, and he was one of the best of the King's Guard.  
  
"I have come to take you back home, Prince Quatre."  
  
-----  
  
His mouth was dry. That wasn't good. Quatre had heard somewhere that the body's actual need for water preceded the feeling of thirst by several minutes.  
  
Of course, his dry mouth may have been the effect of one of his father's best guards uttering the *two words* that totally destroyed the fragile acceptance he had felt here.  
  
Or he may have just been thirsty. Whatever.  
  
"PRINCE Quatre?!" Hirde stuttered, staring in amazement at the glowering blonde. The others did the same. All except Duo, who was, curiously enough, almost smirking. And it was NOT a nice smirk.  
  
"I suspected as much…" he muttered, causing everyone's gaze to jump to him. Wufei snorted and stood up, pulling his sword from where he had sheathed it. His blade was the legendary Mortal Dread, killer of all things. It was one of the only weapons that could kill a full-blooded Sidhe, though even it took time, and many cuts, if they were not to the heart, to accomplish that great task.  
  
"Maxwell." That one word was accusing, "I should have known Shinigami would have his devious hands mixed up somewhere in this whole mess." He growled out, glaring intently at the longhaired boy.  
  
Duo shrugged, his expression changing to a malicious grin. "Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with your precious *prince*, "he spat that word, "coming here, Fei. In fact, my suspicion wasn't even concrete until you showed up." What was he talking about?  
  
A light bulb went off in Quatre's brain. NOW he remembered! "You're THAT Shinigami!? Of the Sidhe?"  
  
The braided boy spared a glance at him, though his main interest was in Wufei. "Yeah. I *was*, anyway." That seemed to be a statement concerning something of great importance to Duo. Or an old grudge.  
  
"Wait a minute, WAIT a minute." Hirde moved to push between the two bickering youths, then apparently thought better of the idea, as sparks were almost visible between the two. Instead she just stepped right up to them, sticking her hand in the middle; as if that would keep them separated and off each other's throats. "I wanna know what's going on around here. YOU'RE, " she turned to Wufei, "the one that gave him that nickname?"  
  
A nod.  
  
"AND… there's actually something *to*, " Duo was now in her line of fire, "that nickname?"  
  
A voiceless acquiescence.  
  
"Well, then. There's just *one* more thing I wanna know before we move on here."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Just WHAT is a Sidhe?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Oh. Riiiiight.  
  
"Sidhe are… well, they're what you would term an elf, I guess." Quatre supplied, as it seemed Wufei and Duo were too busy baring their teeth and growling at each other to notice anyone else much. "More like Royal Elves, but the term can also apply to the elf population as a whole. The English call us fairies sometimes. We don't like that much, " THAT was an understatement. Hirde nodded, accepting the explanation. Of course she would; it was Quatre. But sometimes even *he* kept secrets and twisted the truth.  
  
Heero, seemingly annoyed with the proceedings, reached for Duo's braid, as if to forcibly remove him from the scene. Typical Heero solution to a problem. What he *didn't* expect was for the chestnut-haired boy to whirl on him before his hand even came in contact with the rope of hair, or the scathing fire alight in Duo's narrowed eyes to be aimed at him.  
  
"Don't. Even. Think. About it. Heero." He practically snarled. This was definitely a side of Duo that no one had seen before, except maybe for Wufei, who seemed to be expecting it. It was quite a change form his usual demeanor.  
  
"Don't waste my time, Maxwell. I have come for the Prince, and I *will* return him to his rightful home."  
  
Duo didn't even turn around. "Go ahead. I always knew you never cared about other people's *lives*, Wu. It seems you haven't changed much in 30 or so years. You're still such an arrogant sonuvabitch."  
  
He whirled to face the attack he knew was coming, just as Wufei growled and lifted his sword. Seeing what could occur if he didn't stop them, Quatre threw himself between the two, knowing at least Wufei would not hurt him, and seriously hoping Duo wouldn't either. He spread his arms out to hopefully keep the two at bay for awhile, just to hear him out.  
  
"Stop! Just-… stop it, both of you!" he cried, glaring at the two. "Before you get yourselves, or any of us, killed. Stop acting like spoiled brats." He sighed, and his composure almost completely left him with that one exhalation. "This is my fault… Trowa…" a silent plea. The martial artist nodded and stood, placing a gentle but firm hand on Duo's shoulder, turning him and leading him to a nearby lawn chair, where the longhaired youth sat down solidly and got a dark look upon his features, literally glaring at Wufei.  
  
Quatre lead the raven-haired boy over to a corner far enough away from the others so that they couldn't listen in, then began a heated discussion with Wufei.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"You know."  
  
"Yes, but- why *you*, specifically? Why one of the best of my father's guard?"  
  
"You mean… you don't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"They all thought it was the reason why you ran away."  
  
"*Who* did? Thought *what* was?"  
  
"Your sisters. Didn't you hear that your parents are seriously considering naming you sole heir to the kingdom?"  
  
Quatre was speechless. "WHAT?!"  
  
"You don't have to yell."  
  
"Oh. Sorry."  
  
"And, yes, you heard me. Since you're the only *male* heir-"  
  
"But I'm only *half* Sidhe! The people-"  
  
"The people won't mind as long as they have a decent leader to follow. And you must know most, if not all, of your sisters are nowhere near *anyone's* terms of 'decent'."  
  
"Ireia-"  
  
"She's a woman." Oh. Of *course*. "And your parents have given up hope of finding a suitable mate for her. You know she refuses all of the offers. Your sister greatly dislikes the Seelie court, and you know there are not nearly enough men in the UnSeelie to go around. She would rather be disowned than go into a marriage without love, as well."  
  
"And Kel-"  
  
"Too young. You're parents, your father specifically, want an heir *now*. Plus, she's the only one besides you who's only half Sidhe."  
  
Geez. You'd think he'd rehearsed the whole damn speech or something.  
  
"Wufei. There's something my father should know. It… it might change his mind."  
  
"I saw."  
  
"… Oh."  
  
"And I don't think it will change anything. Milan's very set on this."  
  
"But Trow-"  
  
"He'll understand."  
  
There was that *word* again! *Why* did it make him suffer so?  
  
OK. Time to change the subject. Stall for time or something.  
  
"About Dorothy."  
  
"She was sent here, obviously. My belief is by one or more of your sisters, once they found out about your father's wishes. You know she works for anyone."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Most likely by Erts, maybe even Rila as well."  
  
"Right."  
  
Well, there goes *that* subject. Now what?  
  
There was nothing for it. 'Understand'. Yeah, right. He'd rather be swallowed up in the oblivion that was ignorance than to 'understand' anything right now. But there were things that had to be done.  
  
He felt rather than saw Wufei place a comforting hand on his shoulder. They may not have been the best of friends at the palace, but sorrow brings people together like nothing else.  
  
Quatre and the lone member of the Sidhe Royal Guard made their way towards the others. Hirde looked up from her own conversation as they approached, looking overly amazed.  
  
"Hey, Quatre, did you know that Duo was part of the King's Guard *30 years* ago? And that he's over *200 years old*?!"  
  
The blonde managed a nod. Duo was full Sidhe, of course. He hadn't needed to hide anything because only partial Sidhe have pointed ears, contrary to popular belief about elfin kind.  
  
"And that he was called the God of Death cuz he was so good at killing people-" she paused, stricken at the look on Quatre's face. "Quatre? What's wrong?"  
  
"I…" he swallowed convulsively and forced the words out in a pained whisper, "I have to go."  
  
Duo jumped to his feet from where he'd *still* been glowering at Wufei. "What?! No way, Q-"  
  
"Duo. You… you remember what Heero told you before? Don't let some sort of past grudge cloud your judgement, okay?"  
  
The longhaired boy quieted, looking thoughtful, then nodded and sat back down, allowing Quatre to continue.  
  
"I *did*… tell the truth, before. I have many sisters. Twenty-nine, to be precise. Most of them are cruel and coldhearted; and full Sidhe. I never had any chance of attaining the throne, and, to be honest, I didn't want any part of it. But… my father will be naming me next in line to the throne soon, I think. I am, after all, the sole male heir, no matter that I'm only part Sidhe. You won't need to worry about Dorothy anymore; she was after me, because my sisters do not want me to have the throne. I… I didn't even know about it until now." He tried to convey with his eyes what he couldn't say aloud; he was sorry; eternally, deeply sorry; there was nothing he could do; nothing they could do.  
  
Nothing.  
  
-----  
  
Home.  
  
He was back home.  
  
Except it wasn't home anymore.  
  
Quatre shifted his traveling pack against his shoulder and gazed balefully at the mounds of earth lying in front of him. The entrance to the Sidhe world; the only world he had ever known until meeting Duo and the others. The only world he had never wanted to know.  
  
Home.  
  
He was back in his traveling clothes; Duo, after shedding the odd effects of being around Wufei, had demanded he keep the clothes he had been given, but Quatre did not want to take anything, knowing he would never see Duo or the others again.  
  
Hirde had been a typical girl - tearful, lots of hugs and touchy-feely stuff; Heero had been silent as usual, and served the double purpose of preventing Duo from lunging at Wufei and trying to beat the shit out of him; Trowa had understood, as Wufei had said he would. It was all said and done, and Quatre hated it.  
  
Absolutely *despised* it.  
  
The mound Wufei had been standing in front of and muttering incantations at suddenly vanished, revealing stone steps leading into a seemingly impenetrable darkness. Yippe. His favorite part.  
  
Wufei snapped his fingers, and a ball of orange flame burst up, hovering just over his palm. "This way, Prince," he said, as if Quatre hadn't spent his whole life locked away in this hellhole. Small wonder he was so damn *pale*. But if Apollyon insisted on leading the way, then follow he would, just so as not to cause more trouble than was needed.  
  
And lead the way he did. Through twists and turns, and more twists and turns, and then even more of them. He had forgotten how the place often reshaped itself to it's desires; it seemed to get bored with it's shape relatively easily. Eventually, though, they reached his father's chambers, and Wufei knocked sharply, not even allowing Quatre a moment to get his bearings. There was a muffled summons from inside, and Wufei pushed open the doors, entering the room. Quatre was not far behind, though much less confident.  
  
The stately figure of his father turned to face him, arms spread wide as if to embrace him, though Milan Winner did no such thing. "Quatre. Welcome back, my boy."  
  
"Hullo… father." He didn't even feel like acting decently presentable; he just wanted to stay in his room for the rest of his life, locked away from the rest of the world; both human and Sidhe. So he waited for his father to speak, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer than necessary.  
  
"Well? I supposed you've heard the good news?" there was an expectant look on the King's face, but Quatre wasn't about to act all joyful about the turn of events set upon him; not for anyone.  
  
"Yes, father. I've heard."  
  
"Well, don't look so sullen, my boy! Aren't you even the tiniest bit exited?"  
  
"Of course, father. It's just… I've had a long trip."  
  
"Of course, of course. Of course you have. Wufei."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Accompany him to his chambers."  
  
"Sir."  
  
Thank God it was over.  
  
-----  
  
Quatre flopped back on his bed, happy to finally be able to lie down.  
  
"You lied."  
  
He blinked and sat up. "What?"  
  
Wufei's piercing onyx eyes were on him. "You told him you were tired."  
  
The blonde smirked, gesturing for Wufei to sit down. When he did, Quatre continued, "No, I didn't. I told him I'd had a long trip. He interpreted it that way. Besides, who are you to know if I'm tired or not?"  
  
"I've been watching you."  
  
"Well, of course you have. You were supposed to."  
  
No response. Odd. Try again.  
  
"Wufei?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Answer enough, he supposed. Now for the big question.  
  
"…'Fei'…?"  
  
*That* earned him a glare to match Heero's. But he knew Wufei wouldn't -or couldn't- hurt him; he was the Prince, after all. So he pushed it as far as he dared.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You know."  
  
"Between me and him." It wasn't a question, but-  
  
"Mm."  
  
"… We… had a fight."  
  
A fight?  
  
"He was ranting about how I never spent enough time with him. I was arguing that we both had work to do, we both were loyal to the Kingdom. I made it up to him when I could, after all. He called it a bunch of… bullshit and punched me in the eye. Then he left. For good."  
  
Oh.  
  
Oh, my.  
  
Quatre's eyes nearly popped out of his head when it all began to sink in. "You-… You were LOVERS?!" he blurted, his face turning red.  
  
"And what do you find so humorous, my Prince?" he could see Wufei's eyebrow begin to twitch ever so slightly.  
  
He had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "Nothing! N-Nothing!" It was just… the *thought* of those two together! It must have been hell for them both! They were absolutely nothing alike.  
  
Wufei glared at him, but thankfully continued his story. "That was the last time I ever saw him; until today, of course. Oh, I had heard he abandoned the People to go play house in the human world, and that was enough for me. I made no attempt to locate him, and so was quite surprised to find him with you. Forgive me if I acted uncouth."  
  
Quatre waved a dismissive hand, swallowing his laughter. "Oh, it's alright. He acted worse, I have to say."  
  
Wufei smirked, eyes glittering with some strange inborn light. "And I would have to agree with you, my Prince."  
  
-----  
  
"Quatre-niisan!" Kelly bounded into the room like some 4-year-old tornado, landing in Quatre's lap and grinning broadly. Wufei had taken his leave a half-hour ago, and it seemed he had notified everyone of Quatre's safe return. "Welcome back!"  
  
He smiled a bright, sunny smile; for her sake. "Hi, Kelly-chan! I missed you!"  
  
"Missed you, too." She giggled up at him.  
  
"*That* much was obvious. She bawled for days. I think I still have the ringing in my ears." Came the sarcastic voice of his oldest sister from the doorway.  
  
Erts actually looked strikingly like Quatre, only her golden blonde hair was finer and longer; her was almost down to the back of her knees. Their personalities, though, were entirely different. She loved to kill; enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.  
  
"Welcome home, brother dear. Heard you had some trouble out there in that big, bad world." She smirked maliciously, leaning against the doorframe. She was so much taller than he was! He was so short. Sigh.  
  
"Um… not anything major, really. Not anything we couldn't handle."  
  
"'We'?" he got a raise eyebrow for that one; she knew he hadn't had any company when he started out.  
  
"Yeah. I met quite a few remarkable people out there… Including Shinigami." He said that just to see his normally collected sister flustered, of course. She practically worshipped the legend of Shinigami; in the stories and legends, he killed with no mercy. He was like her idol or something. Wouldn't it burst her bubble if she found out that the legendary Shinigami acted like such a class clown most of the time?  
  
Nah. He wouldn't do something like that, even to Erts. She was already speechless as it was.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. He was pretty cool."  
  
"'Pretty cool'," She muttered, turning and heading for her own quarters, "'Pretty cool', he says! Shinigami!"  
  
Someone just outside his door giggled. "That was good, little brother," Ireia acknowledged, entering and setting herself down at the foot of the bed. Quatre's eyes softened.  
  
"Ireia…"  
  
"Welcome back, Quatre. I won't presume to call it home, for I know that's not how you see it."  
  
He nodded, smiling shyly. "You've always known."  
  
"Home is where the heart is!" Kelly interjected, giggling madly as they both glanced at her. Quatre flashed a lopsided grin at his little sister. She was right, of course.  
  
Ireia patted their little sister on the head and turned back to her brother, "So, how was it?  
  
At this, he perked up a bit. "It was great! I met these amazing people in Tokyo; we went rollerblading and swimming and dancing through the park…"  
  
"You mean you really *did* meet Shinigami?" Hm. Seemed nobody believed him when he said something.  
  
"Yeah. Oh, and Ireia? I didn't want to tell Erts this, but he's… well, his name is Duo, and he's the biggest joker I know. Most of the time, anyway."  
  
His big sister just laughed. "It figures, you know. Erts is so psyched up about him, and he's the total opposite of what she imagined."  
  
"Yeah…" he had to wonder about that. Was it possible that Duo's joker personality was only a mask put forth for the world to see? Interesting concept.  
  
"Quatre? Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, it's just… there was someone there that…"  
  
"You liked?"  
  
He sighed. "Yeah."  
  
Kelly seemed fit to interrupt them as much as possible, "See, neesan! I told you he'd get a Bond!"  
  
"Oh, no, no, sweetie, he's not Quatre's Bond. He's just someone Quatre likes. Quatre will get bonded later, when he gets married,"  
  
Wait. How did Ireia know about Trowa? "'He'?"  
  
Ireia actually looked a bit guilty, "Wufei told me, though I really think he should have let you say it on your own. Trowa seems like a nice person…"  
  
"Like I'll ever see him again."  
  
"Oh, Quatre. I'm so sorry. I can imagine how you feel, but I also think you need to make the best of a bad situation." She leaned over and hugged him. Ireia hadn't done that since he was little. It made him feel safe; comfortable and loved. She probably knew it, too.  
  
"I know, it's just… It's so hard. I thought I would finally get some time to be *me*, you know?"  
  
"I know, Quatre. I know."  
  
-----  
  
Duo was in trouble.  
  
Wufei was gone, thank the gods; he had left the braided boy with one *very* irritated Heero, however. And Duo knew from experience never to stick around the Japanese boy very long when he was mad. He was liable to blow something up or something. Literally.  
  
"H-Heero? You okay, buddy?"  
  
No answer.  
  
It was bad. Really bad. Usually he got at least a customary 'Hn'. Now the Prussian-eyed youth was just… well, *glowering* was the word that came to mind. Duo preferred to refer to it as 'Trying to stare a hole through your head so he won't have to go to any trouble to bring out the guns to kill you'.  
  
Not good. He was *so* dead.  
  
"Heero?" he tried again.  
  
Still nothing. Gulp. He was doomed; they would find his body splattered across the pavement when the workers came to clean out the pool. Or worse, when some little kid fresh out of elementary for the day came for an afternoon swim.  
  
He caught a glimpse of Heero from underneath the bangs that hung in his eyes. Yep, still glaring. Heero would make a good Sidhe.  
  
Maybe he should try to make a break for it. He knew Heero would eventually catch him, but maybe he could lengthen his life a bit.  
  
Yeah, by a few *seconds*.  
  
It was better than just *standing* here, waiting for the inevitable, he supposed.  
  
Duo had just made up his mind to take his chances at running, when Heero's hand shot out and caught hold of his braid, pulling him towards Heero. Ah, the boy knew him too well.  
  
"Who was that?" Heero practically hissed. Well, at least he was talking now.  
  
Duo wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  
  
"W-Who? You mean… Wufei?"  
  
"Hn." Great, back to one-word sentences. He supposed he deserved it.  
  
"Well… it's really a long and complicated story, Heero, pal, and I'm sure you have a lot of schoolwork to finish…."  
  
"Tell it."  
  
"Yeah, Duo," Hirde interrupted. He had forgotten she was even there; she had actually been quiet. "Heero has a right to know, I think, as do Trowa and I."  
  
"Um…" Duo glanced at the taller boy. He hadn't moved since Quatre left. "I don't think Tro's all here right now, Hirde. I can't blame the guy, either. In fact, why don't we all just relax and-"  
  
A sharp tug at his braid. Ow. Duo cast Heero a pitiful look. No sympathy there. So he was stalling a bit. So what? He really didn't feel like telling his life's story right now.  
  
"Now."  
  
Oh, alright. Alright, already! "Wufei's part of the Sidhe King's Guard."  
  
"I gathered as much."  
  
Whoo boy! Sentences longer than two syllables! Now he was getting somewhere.  
  
"He and I worked together when I was also part of the Guard. We were… pretty close." Yeah, that didn't even *begin* to describe it.  
  
Another tug. "How close?"  
  
"Eh? Whaddaya mean?"  
  
"*How* close?"  
  
Oh. So he wanted to play *that* game, did he?  
  
"Lovers, actually." He stated, almost smirking, but knowing he could be seriously hurt if he actually did. He didn't know if there was a way to surgically attach hair violently ripped from his skull, and he didn't particularly want to find out.  
  
Duo had actually succeeded in rendering Heero speechless. Huh. Interesting day.  
  
"WHAT?" Hirde wasn't as much so. He speared her with a sideways glance.  
  
"You heard me. He and I were lovers, but we broke it off right before I left the Sidhe court."  
  
"Who broke it off?" that was Heero. Boy had the recuperation skills of a worm.  
  
"Uh… Me. Why?"  
  
"Good." Heero was smirking and leaning forward. Oh God, he was planning something, and if Duo knew him, it was something malicious, involving a detonator and-  
  
Heero kissed him. Kissed him! On the lips, full on the mouth!  
  
-and handcuffs. Mmm…  
  
Oh, that was nice…  
  
-----  
  
Kelly Ilanna Winner was on a mission. She had to find her big brother and give him a letter her big sister had given to her. It was really pretty, written on pink and purple paper with little roses and butterflies. Too bad Kelly couldn't read and find out what it said. Oh well, Quatre-niisan would tell her what it was once she found him, she was sure.  
  
That's right, she had to go to his room. She remembered being told to leave the letter on his pillow, then leave. She wouldn't leave, though. She'd put it on his pillow, but then she'd hide under his bed, so she could find out what it said after Big Brother read it. That's what she'd do! Mm- hm.  
  
Ah, there it was! Her big brother's room! She slipped inside and carefully placed her delivery on Quatre's pillow, the giggle mischievously and crawled under his bed. The sound of her own breathing was the only thing she heard for several minutes, until finally Quatre-niisan came back from wherever he'd been.  
  
"Kelly-chan? Are you in here?"  
  
Oh! He was looking for her! She had to suppress a fit of giggles as he approached his bed, apparently spotting the letter.  
  
Crumpling was heard as she imagined him picking it up, then silence for a moment as he read.  
  
Oh, c'mon, he *must've* finished it by now! What was he doing?  
  
Little Kelly had just begun to crawl out from underneath the bed when she hear Quatre mutter something that sounded like "Toe-a?" in something akin to amazement.  
  
Then her big brother collapsed to the floor.  
  
-----  
  
"Kelly-chan? Are you in here?" Quatre glanced around his room. No sign of her, but the servant had said she'd seen her around this part of the hall.  
  
Hm. What was that, on his bed?  
  
A letter, it looked like. On pink and purple stationary. Ugh.  
  
But from who? Who would send him a letter? He made his way over to his bed, all the while feeling like *something* was going to happen soon, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it yet. His head felt a bit fuzzy, but not in a bad way. He nervously picked up the piece of elaborately decorated stationary and read the brief message held upon its surface.  
  
'Quatre,  
  
One drop is all it takes.  
  
Dorothy.'  
  
… What in the world-?  
  
… No.  
  
Oh, no.  
  
Oh God, no. She couldn't have. There was no way she could have-  
  
The fuzziness in his head! It was-! He was-!  
  
God, no.  
  
Then he felt something. Something touched his mind, curious. Something that felt frighteningly familiar to Quatre.  
  
~… Quatre?~  
  
Oh, God.  
  
"… Trowa?"  
  
~… What..?~  
  
It was. It was.  
  
Pain. He felt Trowa's mind cry out in pain. Such pain. It wasn't even muffled by the fact that it wasn't his. Quatre felt it as if it were his own, and collapsed to the floor.  
  
Oh, God, no. It couldn't be! Dorothy…  
  
Dorothy had Trowa!  
  
-----  
  
So I lied. This isn't the last chapter, but I'm sadistic at heart. I needed one more cliffhanger. See you in the next (and last, I promise) chapter!  
  
Threnody: Duo got some action! Duo got some action!  
  
Nozomi: Yeah, why'd you put that there? That wasn't part of the original idea.  
  
Threnody: I love Duo! He needed it! And besides, you needed something between Quatre scenes. *smirks* 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Back in Your Own Backyard 4/4  
  
Series: Gundam Wing  
  
Author: Nozomi Aru  
  
E-mail: empressminako@yahoo.com  
  
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2/1x2, SoloxHirde, past 5x2/2x5, slight 5+4 (blink and you'll miss it!)  
  
Rating: As of now... PG-13  
  
Category: AU, magic, sword-stuff, fantasy  
  
Warnings: shounen ai (duh), magic (is that even a warning?), magical stuffies, slight angst methinks, and T and Q torture by Doro  
  
Archive: Fanfiction.net, entry for Stormcloude's "Coming Out" contest.  
  
-----  
  
~You are relating to a psychopath  
  
your role model is in therapy,  
  
you must be real far gone,  
  
you're relating to a psychopath,  
  
It never adds up when you do your math  
  
you're relating to a psychopath  
  
yes i'm real far gone  
  
you're relating to a psychopath...~  
  
-Macy Gray, "Relating To A Psychopath"  
  
  
  
A great cry rang out, reverberating down the hallway and reaching Ireia from where she was making her way towards her own room in a comfortable silence.  
  
"NEECHAN! NIISAN IS- HELP HIM!" Kelly was yelling as loud as she could, desperate to know what was wrong with her brother. And toddlers had pretty good lungs when it came to making loud noises.  
  
Startled, Ireia immediately began to run full out towards where the shout had come from in fear fro her little brother, finally reaching Quatre's room as young Kelly bounded out of the room, crying and wailing hysterically. She scooped the young redhead up into her arms and attempted to comfort and quiet her, even as Ireia made her entrance into Quatre's room. The older girl gasped as she spotted the blonde in a fetal position on the floor, clutching his head and gasping for air, and quickly set her younger sister on the bed, kneeling down to hover over Quatre's prone form.  
  
"Quatre… Quatre! Can you hear me? What's wrong!? Quatre!" she reached out to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder- and reeled back, gasping for breath as well. She knew her little brother was an empath, that he felt other's feelings upon physical contact, but- … the boy was practically *radiating* pain! Even in his state, she should *not* have felt anything, for she knew she had not a bone of empathy in her body, and Quatre had never shown any large signs of telepathy, just barely visible urges. For an emotion so powerful to be emitted from him from mere touch alone, it showed that he must be in a gigantic amount of mental stress. What the HELL was going on?!  
  
Quatre blinked, and his eyes, which were clouded over with inner pain, cleared for a brief instant. "Ireia… Dorothy is… has… Tro…wa… get… Wufei… please…" the girl had to lean very close to even understand what Quatre was saying, for his voice was breathy and etched with pain.  
  
She nodded and stood up, glancing at a whimpering Kelly as she did so. "Kelly-chan… stay here with big brother, alright? Watch him for me, ok?" as the little girl's hesitant but determined nod, Ireia turned and sprinted for the door. She was halfway to the throne room when she ran into Erts, who suddenly appeared out of a side hallway and stopped her for a moment. The girl looked like she had been jerked awkwardly out from whatever kind of activity she chose to indulge in: her hair was a mess, her arms were almost clutching herself to keep from shaking, and her eyes seemed to stare at something far in the distance. Making use of her magic charms and spells in her free time, no doubt.  
  
"Ireia? What's the matter now?" the older girl inquired, tone sarcastic and disdainful, as if expecting the answer to be something utterly stupid. In a fit of rage, Ireia whirled on her, landing a sharp, stinging slap across her cheek. In shock at her audacity, the blonde girl brought a hand up to her face, rubbing slightly where her sister had hit her. Then her clear blue-green gaze latched itself once again onto Ireia.  
  
"What the *hell* was that for?" the girl snarled, taking a step forward as if about to counterattack. Ireia stopped her with her next words.  
  
"*That* was for Quatre, and everything you've done to him." She ground out, before turning and resuming her sprint. Erts did not follow.  
  
She burst into the throne room in a flurry of motion, eyes casting about wildly for her father's personal guard. "Father! Quatre needs Wufei now!" she spotted the two talking casually near the ornate dining table to the right, but as soon as her request reached the now re-robed Wufei's ears, he turned and leveled his intense gaze at her from beneath the dark shadows of the hood.  
  
"Quatre?" he confirmed.  
  
She nodded, even as he was already reaching for something in his flowing robes. In an instant, he had it in his hand, and Wufei threw the small pebble-sized object to the ground. There was a bright flash of white light, a smell like sulfur, a cloud of orange-brown smoke. When the fireworks cleared an instant later, the one called Apollyon was gone.  
  
-----  
  
Duo lay, content, on the couch in his apartment over his restaurant. At the moment, he was lazily watching the fan over his head spin around and around and around and around…  
  
The phone rang, and he turned a halfhearted and sleepy glare it's way. Ruin his relaxation, why doncha?  
  
Next to him, Heero lifted his head, gazing blearily from Duo to the phone, which lay just out of reaching distance for the longhaired boy. The arms around Duo tightened a bit, as if they didn't want to relinquish their hold long enough for him to answer the phone.  
  
Unfortunately, the phone wasn't daunted by either of their glares, combined or not. Telephones never seemed to be fazed by anything.  
  
And it kept ringing and ringing and ringing and ringing-  
  
Goddammit. Duo let out a long-suffering sigh and reluctantly removed himself from the comforting circle of Heero's t-shirt-clad arms.  
  
No, regrettably, the two hadn't quite made it to THAT portion of their relationship. Yet. Their make-out session at the pool had been interrupted by Hirde, who had wanted to get home, already, and dammit if the two just wouldn't stop touching each other! So they had made their way towards home, respectively, though Hirde had first walked Trowa home, and Heero had not yet made it home at all. Quatre had come with Duo to collect his things- Wufei staying back so as not to get on the longhaired boy's nerves all too much, then sullenly left the two to their own devices. And when they finally reached Duo's apartment, the adrenaline rush from earlier had long worn off, and the only activity the two wanted to indulge in at that moment involved a blanket, pillows, and intertwined arms and bodies.  
  
Not that the other activity didn't include those things as well, but…  
  
Duo picked up the phone as sullenly as he could manage, clearing his throat before answering, "Moshi Moshi. Maxwell residence."  
  
"Duo!" Hirde's frantic voice cried from the other end. "Have you seen Trowa?"  
  
"Not since when he was with you. Why, has something happened?"  
  
"He's missing! I left him at the gates outside the dojo, but he never made it inside! Catherine-san called me a second ago to ask if he was with me or Quatre."  
  
"Crap." Duo ran a hand through his slightly too-long bangs agitatedly, seeing Heero sit up on the couch out of the corner of his eye. "Well, any idea where he may be?"  
  
"I don't know! I know he wouldn't be dumb enough to go after Quatre, right?"  
  
"Yeah… but maybe… Quatre went after him."  
  
"What? What are you talking about, Duo?"  
  
"Or, more precisely, somebody after Quatre went after *him*."  
  
The line went dead silent for a moment.  
  
"… Dorothy?!"  
  
"Yeah… It's her. I can feel it."  
  
"What are we going to *do* about it, Duo?!"  
  
"I dunno." He ran a hand through his bangs again, letting loose a loud, irritated sigh. "I'll get back to ya, okay, Hirde? In the meantime, don't go anywhere."  
  
"But, Duo-"  
  
"Just… stay put, alright?"  
  
"… Alright. I'll see ya."  
  
"Right. Bye."  
  
-----  
  
Wufei strode into Quatre's room, instantly spotting the blonde youth laying curled on the floor and the young girl on the bed staring fixedly at him. The raven-haired youth knelt down and set a hand on the bare shoulder, reaching into his mind and attempting to divest him of whatever was causing Quatre the pain. He came up against a quickly but poorly erected mental wall that was way too easy for him to knock down. What he found behind it surprised him, and he growled in shock. Emotions, mainly that of unbearable pain and torment, were pouring into the blonde's mind by way of a mental thread. The thread of consciousness shone forest green in Wufei's searching inner vision.  
  
He attempted to severe the thread; that was no good. Even getting too close to it with his intentions caused Quatre more pain. There was only one thing this could be.  
  
That woman then reached him, demanding to know what was wrong with her brother. He turned a glare her way. No use putting the inevitable off, he convinced himself.  
  
"He… has been Bonded." He announced simply, yet with an air of finality, then turned back to his work. Behind him, she gasped in shock.  
  
"What? But… there was no ceremony, he couldn't have-"  
  
Stupid woman, he thought, but he did not voice it aloud. "A ceremony is mainly for show. You should know that. All that is essentially needed for the Bonding spell is a single drop of blood from each participant, and someone with a strong life force to conduct the magic. I suspect Dorothy simply took some of Quatre's blood from the sword she wielded, Forswythe, the Life-Drainer, when she cut him earlier."  
  
"So… is that why…?"  
  
"Partly. Since Quatre is an empath, the Bond *is* stronger than most, so he is literally being suffocated from all the emotions Trowa- that is who I am assuming Dorothy Bonded him with- is sending from his own mind, without even needing physical contact to communicate with his Bond; it is a mental overload for him. However, I suspect Dorothy has Trowa in her possession and is currently torturing him, both physically and with mental torture spells. She knows that anything Trowa feels will be picked up by Quatre until one, or both, of them learns to erect a mental wall between the Bond; like cutting it temporarily off, or closing a door between them that can be reopened later at one's will. Unfortunately, Trowa has no idea how to do that, and Quatre is too weak at the moment to do it himself, though he *has* been trained."  
  
"But what can we do?"  
  
Wufei sighed. "I am currently building a wall in his mind to cut off the Bond for now, though it won't last for long, and it does not work all the way. It won't be long before it collapses, because it is not his own. In the short time we have, we need to locate Dorothy and stop this madness."  
  
As he spoke, Quatre's cries began to subside, and soon the blonde lay still, whimpering but still in much better shape than he had been just moments before. Wufei motioned wordlessly to Ireia, and together the two leaned down and gently picked the boy up, setting him on the bed as Kelly scrambled to get out of their way. When her big brother lay flat on the bed, the little girl crawled up to his side and curled up next to him like a small kitten, attempting to comfort him the only way she knew how.  
  
When he was sure that Quatre would be all right for awhile, Wufei turned to go, again motioning to Ireia to do the same. He didn't know how much help the older sister would be, but she was better than nothing if he ran into trouble- and undoubtedly he would. The pair was stopped by a light protest from the bed before they had gotten but a few steps away, however.  
  
"Wait," Quatre coughed out, voice breathy and a bit hoarse, "I'll… go with you," He announced, trying to sit up with Kelly still clinging tightly to his shirt, as if he would disappear if she even thought about relinquishing her hold.  
  
Ireia whirled, eyes alight. "You'll do no such thing, Quatre Reberba Winner! You'll stay right there and get some rest!"  
  
"Ireia," he smiled weakly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed despite his sister's angry protests, "You know there has to be at least the… beginnings of love in someone's heart to be Bonded. I'm not completely sure yet, but… I at least *like* Trowa. A lot. And I won't lie here while you two go fight my battle for me. You know I won't."  
  
He turned pleading yet determined aquamarine eyes on the two, and it wasn't long before Wufei relented, rolling his eyes at his apparent weakness towards the blonde boy.  
  
"Alright. We'll allow you to come. But if it becomes too dangerous, you *will* find safe cover. You are the crown Prince, and I cannot allow you to die at this stage, no matter the consequences to anyone else."  
  
"…Yes."  
  
-----  
  
"What are you doing?" Heero asked from his position on the couch, puzzled at the form of Duo, butt stuck high in the air as the longhaired Sidhe dug through the clutter that was his closet, muttering to himself.  
  
"Looking for something." Came the muffled, cryptic reply, followed by a few obscure crashes and thuds. "Ow."  
  
"Looking for *what*?"  
  
A few more crashes. Lord, it sounded like he was banging on the wall, or something akin to it. "Something. You'll see." He continued to rummage even as he spoke, not even glancing at Heero for an instant, but, feeling the intense glare on his back, he continued.  
  
"If Dorothy's the one who caused this, and I have no doubt she is, then we're gonna need some serious backup against her. She won't go down easy, even for a Sidhe." He grunted a bit as he attempted to move a rather large box out of the way. Heero smirked and stood up, making his way over to the closet just in time to snatch another box that was teetering dangerously near the edge of a high shelf, and which could have caused Duo some serious bruising from above.  
  
"Need some help?" Heero inquired, smirking all the more as Duo flashed a grin of thanks at him.  
  
"I know it's in here somewhere… It's been such a long time… Aha!" Duo held up his discovery proudly, and Heero couldn't help but admire the sight the indigo-eyed boy made: eyes flashing, loose chestnut hair swirling around his body like a living thing, maniacal grin lighting upon his features- and wielding a lone, jet black pole with a glowing green scythe on it's end. For a brief instant, Heero imagined that Duo's indigo eyes were swirling with an inhuman molten-like activity in their depths, and that the deep black pupils in the center were slit, as of a cat's; but the vision faded as quickly as it had come.  
  
"Shinigami is back from Hell, and ready to get it on!"  
  
-----  
  
"Dorothy has magically sealed living quarters- if one weren't completely Sidhe, - or accompanying one- and looking for exactly what is there, one would not be able to see anything unusual."  
  
Wufei explained as he led the two at a clipped pace, fast enough that, in Quatre's weakened state, it was rather difficult for the blonde to keep up without ending up gasping for breath, but he managed somehow. Quatre and Ireia had no idea where they were going, though it was obvious Wufei did, and that, wherever it was, it was in a part of the UnSeelie territory that neither of them had ever explored or ventured into for even an instant.  
  
In fact, as they traveled deeper into the underground tunnels, the atmosphere seemed to become blacker, deeper- as if the very air around them was suffused with visible pain and torturous emotions. To the core of his being, Quatre's consciousness was whispering, then urging, and finally screaming for him to leave, get away, that this place was the very incarnate of Evil. It looked to be about right, but he couldn't run now, not now.  
  
"Prepare yourselves for anything; an attack from all sides, even." The voice of Wufei pierced the air, the first audible sound they'd heard in minutes. It seemed to break the other two from a dream, and they nodded, though not really understanding the advice. A few steps forward and the raven-eyed youth paused suddenly, whirling and tossing each of them a rather large dagger brought forth from the confines of his robes.  
  
"Defend yourselves," he hissed, his sword glinting as he whirled around again to face forward and unsheathe the blade, slicing through a spider the size of his fist as it dropped from the ceiling seemingly without warning.  
  
Soon the three were surrounded by a swarm of spiders of all sizes, and fighting desperately to keep the nimble little beasts away from their persons.  
  
"What *is* this?" Quatre managed to gasp out, slashing at a large spider that landed on his arm. The horrible thing fell off with a piercing screech, even as several smaller ones took its place, dropping from the ceiling. The arachnids seemed to appear from everywhere: the ground, the ceiling, the walls, even the very air.  
  
"Dorothy's Power," Wufei replied, "the Hand of Death."  
  
"You mean," Ireia interrupted, "these things… are all *dead*?"  
  
"Yes," he managed to get one hand free for an instant, and, raising it upwards, a bright light began to come forth, growing stronger and stronger every moment. The spiders around him retreated as if burned, staying just out of the reach of the light and letting loose a spine-tingling screech of mutual protest. "Get closer to me!"  
  
Quatre and Ireia complied readily, relieved to see the spiders attached to them back off in the presence of the light as well. Grunting in annoyance, Wufei began to lead them forward once again.  
  
"Those spiders are the corpses of ones that have died here over the past centuries. Because of Dorothy's Power, she can control anything that has died in this area since she came to live here, many centuries ago. Luckily, not many big creatures can be persuaded to come down these tunnels- only Sidhe, and then only on those rare occasions. It's a good thing Sidhe cannot be killed as easily as spiders, however, for then we would be in trouble. Sharp light is only effective on the smaller creatures, unfortunately."  
  
"It's helpful, though," Quatre supplied, "I'm glad that's over."  
  
"It is only just beginning, my Prince."  
  
The very air shivered, as if in sadistic anticipation.  
  
-----  
  
"Let's go kick some Sidhe ass!"  
  
"One question."  
  
"Yeah, Heero?"  
  
"Where do we find this Dorothy?"  
  
A pause.  
  
"…Oh, geez."  
  
-----  
  
Their journey had been relatively quiet since the spiders. Too quiet for Quatre. Something was going to happen. He just didn't know what, but he did not have long to wait for it.  
  
Around them, a loud noise, as if the dirt-packed walls around them were groaning, sprung forth. The three did not even have time to prepare before they were suddenly hurled forward by a great gust of wind smelling of decay, then slammed into a wall, falling limply to the ground. Amazingly, Wufei had managed to keep his light spell working, and as they stood, the three noticed that they had come across a fork in the tunnels. Wufei cursed loudly as he looked up and spotted a plaque with an evil, grinning face embedded in the wall between the two paths.  
  
"We have come to an impasse. One way is the right way; the other leads to disaster beneath our feet. Dorothy's second and last Hand of Power is the Hand of Illusion; we will not know which path is the correct one until we try."  
  
"Isn't there any other way?" Ireia asked, and Quatre nodded, wondering as well.  
  
"There is one," Wufei turned, onyx eyes intense upon the two of them. "It is a rather simple spell, but it consumes magical energy, as do all spells. Dorothy is trying to make us waste our magic before we even begin our confrontation with her."  
  
"But without that spell…"  
  
"Without it we could find ourselves falling into a bottomless pit; never landing, always falling, until all of us die of starvation."  
  
"What's the spell?" the blonde inquired. The odds of them surviving without it were only half.  
  
"Truth Spell. Either of you should know it well enough. If you are going to do it, thrust the spell down one of the tunnels. It will reveal whether it is the correct path or not."  
  
"I'll do it," Ireia agreed. Her little brother needed all of his small magical power for later, especially since he, unfortunately, did not have an evident Hand of Power. Lifting one hand, she recited the familiar chant, then, feeling the waves of the magic, hurled it into the right-hand tunnel. There was a great flash of light, and the tunnel was revealed to taper off, ending at a large hole in the ground not twenty steps from where they stood. It was the wrong tunnel, obviously.  
  
The next fork had three paths leading off of it. Halfway down the left corridor of earth, Wufei paused, almost causing the others to run into him. He motioned frantically for them to be silent, and the light emitting from the orb suspended above his hand faded to almost nothing. The three stood there in the dark for moments that carried on for an eternity, listening to the sounds of the Earth, straining their ears for any unusual sound.  
  
A clear, high tinkle, as that of a small bell, resounded around and inside of them for one striking moment, and Wufei's light suddenly burst forth again, brighter than ever.  
  
"They've found us! Run!" he cried, grasping the nearest hand- which happened to be Ireia's- and sprinting forward. The girl immediately seized Quatre's hand so he would not be left behind, even as the blonde youth whipped out the dagger he had been given by the raven-haired member of the King's Guard earlier. He stumbled backwards as Ireia tugged insistently on his arm, but kept his gaze to the rear, to fend off any attacks as they ran. As he was practically dragged along, he gaped at the figures that seemed to ooze from the packed earth around them, now and again regaining his senses and slashing, almost ineffectively, at one when it approached too near.  
  
"They are the dead souls and bodies of those unlucky enough to have died here or up above on the crust of the Earth, both Human and Sidhe alike." Wufei informed them even as he was concentrating on getting them out of there. "They are called Gibdo- the ReDead [1]. They feel no pain, and no artificial light can harm them."  
  
"They're also pretty slow." Quatre added, slashing at another one and stumbling backwards again.  
  
"Do not let any get near you!" the urgency in his friend's voice startled the blonde, and he backed farther away from the lifeless beings. "If they get close enough, they will latch onto you and drain your life energy like we consume a drink. Their hunger for life is, for them, almost unbearable."  
  
"How-" Ireia gasped out, "How can we stop them?" she pulled her brother a little closer, not wanting him near those awful Gibdo things.  
  
"Here!" they finally paused for breath, Wufei running his hands over a pair of large, stone doors that stood in their way. "Quatre, help me open this. Quickly!"  
  
The Gibdo were closing in fast. The blonde rushed towards the door, straining to move the left one with Wufei's help. It seemed as if an eternity passed, and his sister became more nervous the longer it took.  
  
"You guys… those things are awfully close now… How long is this going to take?"  
  
"Not… long…" Wufei panted, and, with one last burst of effort, the door was open enough to allow a person to slip between. Quatre motioned Ireia through, then glanced at Wufei, who urged him forward. As soon as they reached the other side, the two youths turned and pushed the door closed- and only just in time, for they shoved the doors together over the hand of a Gibdo that had reached them. Severed from its limb, the appendage fell to the floor, lifeless, as it should have been all along.  
  
Wufei allowed them all a small reprieve, then stood, lightly rapping the knuckles of one hand against the stone doors, as if to test their strength for himself. "They cannot pass through or around these doors. We are safe from them. For now."  
  
-----  
  
"Here." Duo tossed what looked like a miniature version of his own weapon, which he lovingly called Deathscythe, to Heero, who caught it effortlessly in one hand. "If we run into any trouble, just will the blade to come forth, okay?" he explained, putting off an air of nonchalance that wasn't all that effective, "And I have a feeling trouble will find us soon enough. We're rather good friends, him and I."  
  
"Ryoukai."  
  
Duo had contacted a source he had in the Sidhe court to discover the whereabouts of Dorothy, since he had no clue where the long-time assassin might have set up shop in the Sidhe world- he had been gone for over twenty years now, and she and him had never been very good friends. Unfortunately, the contact wasn't much help in the matter, but he *had* pointed them in the right direction, and the longhaired boy had figured it out from there. The two had had to sneak into the territory of the UnSeelie court under cover of darkness, because for some reason Duo still did not want too many people to know that he was alive and breathing. Now Heero and he were traversing the dank underground tunnels of the area, Duo leading the way.  
  
"I can smell her," Duo had announced, and the Japanese youth did not think he meant anything to do with his nose.  
  
It was dark down here, the lamps not issuing enough light to illuminate the whole passageway, for the farther they went, the farther apart the lamps were spaced, until finally there were none at all, and Duo used his weapon for illumination.  
  
After what felt like an eternity following the twisting underground pathway, the ground suddenly began to crackle beneath their feet, and the chestnut-haired boy paused, hair blanketing his body as he leaned down to investigate. "Spider husks," he announced after a moment. "Looks like Wu's been here already. We better hurry before we miss all the action, ne?" that with a wry chuckle.  
  
They were in luck, he found out when the two reached the separating passageways. All he had to do was follow the lingering scent of Wufei's power to learn the way to take. That fact made their journey one step easier. He was just beginning to relax, thinking all the danger must have followed the others, and turned to Heero to say something, walking backwards for just a moment.  
  
That was when he ran straight into a Gibdo.  
  
-----  
  
They were up against a wall. An apparent dead end.  
  
Wufei snorted derisively. "Dorothy's last and most pitiful trick. She did not think we would make it this far, I see." He thrust his right hand into the wall- and it, facing little resistance, went right through. Illusion, Quatre realized. Of course.  
  
The blonde winced a bit as he passed through the not-really-there wall. The closer he became to where Trowa was, the stronger the pain became, and Wufei's mental wall was crumbling fast. He only hoped he could make it to Trowa before he couldn't move for the pain again.  
  
He only hoped Trowa was going to be all right.  
  
The three emerged into a vast chamber carved into the rock, lit by an unknown source of unnatural light; so much so that Wufei finally cancelled his light spell. There seemed to be nothing much to see, but the chamber itself was a sight: it rose fifty feet into the air, and was at least that much across. The smallest whisper was seized and echoed multiple times across the massive space, and Quatre was in awe of it all.  
  
But… the question was, where was Trowa? Certainly not *here*. And the blonde couldn't spot another entrance to this gigantic place anywhere.  
  
As Wufei approached the center of the chamber with light footsteps, he became aware of a growing sense of anxiety inside of him. Something was going to happen. Something was here. Lying in wait for them.  
  
A chilling gust of wind swept around the area, whipping Ireia and Quatre's hair as the two watched warily from the side of the chamber, and causing the little blonde to hug himself for conserved warmth. The air reeked of death and decay, and as the raven-haired Sidhe reached the center of the chamber, a sharp howl pierced the air, and the corpse of what might have been a wolf emerged, jumping out from the ground itself.  
  
"How'd she get a wolf *here*?" Wufei cursed as he leapt backwards, reaching for his blade to defend himself. He whirled as he found it absent from its sheath, instead finding himself staring straight into the triumphant blue- green eyes of Erts. The girl was grinning maliciously and swinging Mortal Dread from side to side, mocking him. His eyes narrowed dangerously, but he held out a hand as calmly as he could manage.  
  
"The sword, Madam."  
  
"Oh, I don't think so." She replied, throwing something the size of a pebble to the ground. Wufei reeled back at the bright flash of light, and when he lifted his eyes again, she was gone. With his be-damned sword, at that!  
  
The wolf leapt.  
  
-----  
  
Duo heard Heero gasp out his name as the Gibdo- damnable things, those- wrapped itself around his body, pinning his arms to his sides within the grasp of its decaying arms and causing him to drop his beloved Deathscythe. He grimaced as it clattered to the ground and went out, struggling to get free as the Gibdo sank it's revolting teeth into the side of his throat and began to suck his energy dry, not breaking the skin by way of it's magic. It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, having one's energy drank by something not quite dead. Even as he felt himself weaken, he thanked whatever Gods were listening that he had not re-braided his hair back at his apartment, and concentrated.  
  
He felt his hair reach up and wrap itself around the Gibdo's throat, pulling it off of him and tossing the disgusting thing a good twenty feet [2]. Duo gasped for breath and almost fell, the only thing stopping him was Heero's strong arms as they caught him. He barely had time to breathe easier however, before a shriek rang through the air.  
  
" Mary Mother-of-Jesus, what *is* that thing?! It looks dead! Oh, get it away from me!"  
  
Duo winced, as a headache suddenly began to throb in his head.  
  
Oh, God.  
  
He stood up, inching suspiciously down the way they had come. "It's a Gibdo. Stay away from it," He called helpfully.  
  
Silence.  
  
Ooohhh. Busted.  
  
Yep, it was Hirde, all right. She had followed them, when he had deliberately told her not to move. And, if he wasn't mistaken, she had brought someone with her.  
  
Solo, of course. He couldn't figure out how the boy had managed to hook up with his girlfriend and get *here*, of all places, but here he was.  
  
And with them all possibly surrounded by Gibdo. Great. Just great.  
  
"Hey Hirde, Solo-buddy. Back up against they wall and come over to us as fast as you can," He whispered. The longhaired boy could literally hear them hesitate for a second, "Hurry!"  
  
They hurried, and soon they were with him and Heero, wide-eyed and looking way beyond scared.  
  
"I *told* you not to go anywhere, Hirde!" Duo vehemently admonished, even as he was on the lookout for more Gibdo. There didn't seem to be that many around, lucky for him- and them.  
  
"Yeah, but, Duo- You know I can't just wait around when Trowa may be hurt. And I brought Solo along."  
  
"I see that." His eyes narrowed even further, but they couldn't tell in the dark.  
  
"Hey, kid, don't worry. I can take care of Hirde-babe here. So what's up with the whole Trowa situation?" Duo's longtime friend, Solo, asked. Solo had been his first acquaintance when he arrived at Tokyo five years ago, when he had made himself the physical age of about eleven, and they had been friends ever since, though the blonde boy now lived on the other side of the city, so they couldn't talk as much.  
  
"He has been taken prisoner by a powerful, ruthless Sidhe, someone you guys have no chance to beat, and now we all may be surrounded by Gibdo, who will suck all of our life energy out of us before we can even get near her," he hissed. "In short, everything's just great. Peachy, even."  
  
"I can help!" Hirde was stubborn on this point.  
  
"No, you *can't*," Duo's eyes flashed. "This is *not* a video game, nor a role playing game. And now you may get us all killed, on top of everything else!" He whispered furiously, eyes an angry molten-indigo in the dark.  
  
"Duo," Heero called, handing the longhaired boy his weapon when he turned his way, "Let's go."  
  
He cast another furious glance at the two even as he spun around and motioned them forward. "All right."  
  
-----  
  
Wufei cursed as he barely dodged another swipe of the wolf's great paw. If only he could get away for three seconds, he could defeat this beast. Though it would waste precious magic, it was his only solution, for that damnable woman had stolen his sword, bringing herself down to the role of common thief in the act.  
  
"Quatre! Could you hold him off for me? I just need three seconds or so!"  
  
The blonde nodded at the call and strode forward, aiming his dagger at the wolf with the precision that had been trained into him. With one quick toss, the blade was imbedded in it's side, yet the beast did not even seem to notice it. It did, however, turn towards Quatre, and that was all the time Wufei needed. He smirked confidently and recited the spell, then tossed the flaming ball that burst forth over his hand at his unsuspecting opponent. It immediately burst into flames with a long howl, attempting one last pounce before it dissolved into an acrid smelling midnight smoke in front of their eyes.  
  
The dead had a weakness for fire.  
  
Ireia wandered up to them, "Now what? I don't see anyplace to go from here."  
  
A sweeping glance taking in everything around them, Wufei sighed, "I'm not sure. It might be more illusion; then again, it might not be. I can't tell for certain."  
  
"Hey, guys? Hello? Is anyone there?" the faint sound of another voice carried to them, causing Wufei to jerk at the sound, startled, eyes narrowing suddenly in annoyance.  
  
"Maxwell," He ground out, striding over to the small entrance. "Maxwell! What the *hell* are you doing following us?"  
  
"Aw, Wu, I didn't know you cared," Came the laughing reply, "Hey, help us out, will ya? How do we get to you guys?"  
  
The youth seemed to hesitate for a second, "It's illusion. Just walk through the wall."  
  
"Um… OK, whatever you say."  
  
It was interesting to watch the others come through the illusion wall. First, the head would appear, as if disembodied, followed by the neck and, quickly, the rest of the body, due to them having to duck through the rather small opening. Once Duo was through, he reached out and helped first Heero then Hirde through, the girl followed closely by someone Quatre had never seen before. The grinning youth was quickly introduced as Solo, a longtime childhood friend of Duo's.  
  
So there they all were: Wufei glaring at Duo, Heero glaring at Wufei, and the others looking decidedly uncomfortable. The silence was broken by none other than the onyx-eyed King's Guard.  
  
"So. Maxwell. Whatever possessed you to come after us?" he demanded frankly.  
  
"Well, Wu, I got kinda upset when I found out Trowa had been kidnapped by Dorothy, and since he's my friend too, I thought I could help," The mock- sarcasm dripping from Duo's words as he toyed with the weapon in his hands was surprisingly not as hostile as he had been earlier.  
  
"This is none of your concern, Maxwell. We can handle this just fine. We do not need your help."  
  
Duo smirked, "Awww, how cute. I love you too, Fei," This reply had Wufei seeing red, but he continued, unhindered, "But I ain't gonna stand around and let you have all the fun this time around. It ain't happening."  
  
A tug on his braid from Heero prevented Duo from become hostile, and Quatre realized that the reason for the change in the longhaired boy's behavior around Wufei was standing right next to him. So, the two had finally gotten together! Quatre was happy for them, but he wasn't about stand around and argue about who was coming with them, when Trowa was still in real and immediate danger.  
  
"Boys, we don't have time to argue here," Ireia beat her brother to the punch, however. "We have a kidnapped person to save. And we have no idea what Dorothy might be doing to him at the moment."  
  
"Right!" Duo cheered, pumping a fist and smirking at Wufei. "Let's go!"  
  
"Um… that's the problem. There seem to be no other entrances or exits, aside from the one we all came through," Quatre informed them regrettably, nibbling on his bottom lip in worried thought.  
  
"No way!" this exclamation came from an irritated Hirde, who threw her hands up in the air and glanced around suspiciously, "This *can't* be just a dead end, with what we went through to get here!"  
  
Behind her, Wufei sent Duo a Look that clearly questioned his decision to bring a Human Woman with him, and the braided boy just shrugged before turning and continuing a hushed discussion with Heero. All Quatre could make out was a muffled, "…hair… threw it… braid…is…"  
  
A sudden, piercing laugh grazed their senses, and Duo's weapon was back in his hands in an instant, green blade blazing forth. From everywhere around them, the voice of a girl issued forth, and Quatre knew it well. It was the taunting voice of his older sister Rila.  
  
"Oh, it's not over yet, Humans. This is one last puzzle just for you; one that you will never escape from in time. Have fun, kids."  
  
"More trickery!" Wufei sneered, glaring at nothing in particular and wishing he had his sword with him. The others were already running hands along the walls, hoping to locate a way out. It was big surprise to everyone, however, when, after a time, Hirde suddenly let out a small shriek and fell *through* the part of the rock she was currently inspecting.  
  
"Um… I think I found it," came her slightly muffled voice, and everyone gathered around her, Quatre protesting a bit.  
  
"But I just looked there! It wasn't like that before!"  
  
"It sure is now," Duo remarked, sweeping a hand where the rock used to be. It had disappeared when Hirde fell through, "Maybe you just skipped over it by accident or something."  
  
"I could have sworn that I checked there…" the blonde muttered, puzzled, as the dark-haired girl poked her head out of the crawl space and motioned them forward.  
  
"C'mon, hurry! We don't have all day to save Trowa!"  
  
"That was relatively easy," Solo observed, even as he bent down to enter the small space, "That girl made it seem like it was going to be hard. Comin', Babe,"  
  
"Maybe she was just lying," Duo replied offhandedly.  
  
"Or maybe…" Suspiciously, Wufei cast a glance down the tunnel, but did not continue his thought.  
  
-----  
  
Dorothy grimaced at the view in the small hand mirror that she was holding, which showed her the pitiful little party that was fast approaching her. So, the Humans had a Dead Cell in their possession, did they?  
  
No matter. They would all die sooner or later, even with that silly girl around. She just had to take a few more… precautions, was all.  
  
It was just a matter of time.  
  
-----  
  
Hirde emerged from the tunnel first- and came up against what looked like a plastic bubble surrounding them, and barring their entrance from another unnaturally lit chamber. Behind her, Duo and Solo emerged form the tunnel, then Quatre and Heero. They all ogled at the barrier, Duo pounding on it in a fit of anger, as if he expected it would give way under the pressure.  
  
"Dammit! What the hell *is* this?!"  
  
"A Barrier Bubble, Maxwell. Easy to start, not as easy to end. It seems we are once again trapped."  
  
"But…" Hirde began, reaching out and running a hand along the smooth surface that kept them there, "if the spell is so simple, as you say, Wufei, it has to be relatively easy to-" she gasped as the barrier vanished and she once again stumbled forward, landing on her hands and knees. Solo rushed towards her to make sure she was all right, and she waved him away, turning and leaning upwards, casting a suspicious glance towards the others, as if they had had something to do with what had just occurred.  
  
"What… just happened?"  
  
Duo blinked, glancing around them, where the Bubble had just been, "It disappeared," he stated matter-of-factly, voice a bit awestruck.  
  
The others were looking at her. Hirde started nervously. "What? What's the matter?"  
  
"You… It is just as I suspected," Wufei began, "You are what we Sidhe term a 'Dead Cell'."  
  
"What's… that?" she demanded, not sure if she actually wanted to know.  
  
"Well… It means, basically, that you absorb magic into yourself. Magic has no effect on you or anything you touch. This condition is very rare, I believe… especially in non-magical beings."  
  
Her reaction wasn't quite what Wufei was expecting. "Cool!" she exclaimed, short hair bobbing as she jumped up and latched onto Duo's arm, giving him a superior look. "See? I *told* you I could help!"  
  
"So you did."  
  
-----  
  
"The little kids got through."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"… Let Dorothy handle them. It's what she's getting paid for, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah. OK."  
  
"But watch the girl. She could be dangerous." An afterthought.  
  
-----  
  
Their entrance into the next, and hopefully last, room of their underground journey was barred only by the strings of rose-vines sporting wicked thorns that grew across the carved entrance. Those were easily taken care of by Duo's scythe, and their path was unhindered any further. There *was* a peculiar cold spot directly in front of the doorway that sent instant and gut-wrenching chills down each of their spine's as they passed through it, but it was just as soon forgotten as not, in light of the view they were afforded upon looking around.  
  
The decorations were lavish; the carvings seemed to flow together in a living, fluid motion that left the viewer breathless at the first and following glances; the lighting was generous, almost to a fault. Carvings of jet-black stone and something that looked suspiciously like glass or diamond glittered beneath the once again unnatural, but more human- warmer, it seemed- light. The place gave off an aura of a ripe, golden apple- tainted with the presence of a dark worm, as Dorothy stepped from the ill- afforded shadows to their right, and Quatre was the first to spot a bruised and bleeding Trowa, chained to the wall on their left and seemingly unconscious for the moment. Peculiar, that- Quatre could still feel pain in his head not his own, a barely tangible thing through the mental wall, that should not have been if the brown-haired boy's mind was truly floating in the depths of oblivion as it seemed. He suspected magic, if nothing else.  
  
"What…?" Hirde began, glancing around in wonder, but her boyfriend cut her off with his next statement, just as awe-filled.  
  
"It's… an ancient Sithi shrine… I never thought I would actually see one…"  
  
The sound of hands clapping- tauntingly, mockingly- brought them out of their reverie, and the group's attention was now almost fully focused on a smirking Dorothy, who stepped carefully closer to them, the shadows retreating from the light as she did so, but seeming to cling to her form, as a young pup taken forcefully from its mother.  
  
"I'm impressed, boy. You're correct, of course… although 'Sithi' is not a word we commonly use here," the sharp, sky-blue eyes glanced at each of them in turn, measuring them beneath the peculiar, molten, three-shaded depths- cat eyes, they were; almost completely feline in nature. And her grin was that of a cat- a cat that, for lack of a better cliché, had eaten the canary and had a bowl of cream added to the bargain.  
  
As Quatre stepped impulsively, threateningly closer, her eyes flew towards him, catching and holding his widened gaze as she mock-bowed towards the blonde, eyes never relinquishing the hold they had on him.  
  
"Quatre-sama. It is a pleasure to welcome you to my… humble abode… as the case may be," she purred, standing- almost sliding, or slithering- gracefully back to her feet. When she turned, breaking the sacred contact of their gazes, he reeled backwards as if burned, clutching at his throat and gasping for air as if he had come to the surface after a very long time under water. He thought he heard her hiss lightly in annoyance as he blinked and regained his breath, but the blonde half-Sidhe couldn't be sure of anything at the moment, as Wufei was instantly at his side, supporting him.  
  
"What did you do to him?" the onyx-eyed youth growled into the still air, so low it was almost inaudible, and it was incredible that Dorothy heard it from across the room, but somehow she did- that, or she had guessed what the question had been.  
  
"Why, *nothing*, of course. You wound me with your words, dear Captain of the Guard," she trailed her fingertips lightly across something lying on the middle altar, and Quatre hissed in pain, clutching his heart, "I didn't even *touch* him, did I?" at the emphasized word, she whirled, eyes flashing a bright gold and lips pulling back to reveal a very inhuman set of teeth, complete with fangs, as she hissed again, a feral sound, and thrust a hand forward, pushing… *something* towards Quatre and disturbing the air between them. Her fingers did not move from their spot on the altar as the blonde youth sank to his knees, eyes going blank for a moment. Across the room, Trowa moaned from the depths of his seeming rest, drawing the attention of the others for a slight time.  
  
"Trowa!" Hirde gasped and started forward, unheeding of the cries from both Duo and Solo to wait. Dorothy was on her in an instant of cat-like grace, sword unsheathed and pushed against the dark-haired girl's throat threateningly.  
  
"Don't move," the Sidhe breathed huskily at the others who had also rushed forward, stopping them in their proverbial tracks. "The enchantment may not work on the damned brat, but I assure you, the blade works just fine for what I have in mind," the last part of her sentence was almost completely lost to a breathy purr that carried on long after she was finished speaking, and she jerked the sword for emphasis.  
  
Wufei stood and reached for his own sword, only to find it still gone from its usual place by his side. That thrice be-damned woman! He would have her hide for even daring to steal his blade!  
  
To his left, Duo's scythe sprung to an emerald life, and he began to slowly and carefully approach Dorothy and her captive. "Let her go," his voice was potent, full of promise- not unlike the popular vision of Shinigami, "Your quarrel is not with the girl, I believe. She was foolish. Leave her be, and cease hiding behind weaklings," he smirked, voice changing to the Duo everyone else knew, "Besides, I've had enough of your crap for one century."  
  
An appraising sapphire eye was raked up and down his black-clad form warily, then Dorothy chuckled almost humorlessly. "So you're the legendary Shinigami-san… you're everything I thought you would be: reckless and bold, and foolish if you think can fight and defeat one of your elders, boy." She sniffed disdainfully, but dropped her sword-wielding arm swiftly, pushing Hirde forward to bump into Duo, "Alright. Take the vixen. Humans disgust me." She smirked and lashed out suddenly against Duo, who barely had enough time to parry with his own blade before she was upon him. The longhaired youth grunted and pushed her off of him, swinging around to land a glancing blow to her side, slicing through her thin outfit and a layer of cream- colored skin.  
  
In a flash, Quatre was over to Trowa- she had forgotten about the little halfling brat in lieu of the heat of battle, but his efforts would prove wasted nonetheless. His weak-willed, Human whoreson was surrounded by another Barrier Bubble, something she had taken extra care to add more charms than was necessary to. There was no way the stupid child would ever break through, with his pitiful excuse for magic his only tool.  
  
Her sensitive Sidhe ears caught the words as that uppity Guardsman instructed the little slut to go to Quatre and help. Like a weakling Human child could do anything but meddle. Better not take chances, though. In one fluid motion, she whirled and tripped the Human. Then, ceasing her attack on the stupid braided boy who dared to call himself the God of Death, Dorothy suddenly jumped backwards onto the three-foot-tall middle altar, sheathing her sword for the moment. Her hands began to dance together in an erratic pattern that flowed together like water from a stream, the motion fluid from many earlier practices.  
  
"Diggers of the Earth, I call thee forth!" her voice ran clear and bold through the antechamber, "Come at the beckon of your dark Mistress!" her hands paused, completely still, as if frozen in time, "Come to me! /Boghanik Bukkenn/!"  
  
Those last two words, Words of Summoning if Quatre didn't known better, sent a chill down the half-Sidhe's spine, and for good reason. An instant after the words died from the girl's lips, they were cut from the air like scissors do to words on paper- no echo was heard, from one side of the room to the other. The two torches- for Quatre realized there *were* torches, after all- suddenly died down to nothing, as if an invisible breath had simple puffed out their short life, and the antechamber was plunged into a despondent darkness.  
  
Quatre jerked from where he had been pounding on the damned Bubble that kept him from helping Trowa, eyes blinking rapidly, as they had suddenly gone blind. His heart was instantly anxious, as he had no idea where the others were, could not see them if he tried- Dorothy might be standing over him with her blade ready to slice him in half, for all he knew. That thought brought on a fit of nervous energy, and he held his breath, straining his ears for any sound. He was relieved to hear Wufei's curse, as if that one word erected a bridge between him and the rest of reality. A green, curved light drew his eyes, and, after a moment of study, he realized he was staring at Duo's Deathscythe- and another, miniature version of it as well. Strange.  
  
The physical bubble beneath his hands was a comforting anchor as well as a vexing barrier, as at least he knew where he was in the room, but suddenly coming aware of ragged breathing not far from him sent a stab of fear through his heart- until the voice spoke to him.  
  
"Quatre?" Hirde guessed, crawling slowly towards him, "Is that you? Yell-… well, say if it is."  
  
His heart thumped so loudly in his chest that he guessed the whole world could hear it by now. "Yeah," he whispered, even as he heard the fighting resume- and something else, something not right, begin. There was a screech, and inhuman sound of sadistic glee, and Duo's emerald light puffed out of existence as easily as a candle, just as Hirde reached the blonde boy. The youth jerked and jumped away as he felt a hand on his arm that was definitely not Trowa's or Hirde's- in fact, it didn't feel even slightly human, more like claws- and knocked right into Hirde, who fell backwards onto the stone floor with a loud *thump*. His sincere apology was halted when he felt what must have been at least another five hands on his shoulder, and this time he shrieked in fear, as they began to pull him back- back towards the wall, the black, deep, wall-  
  
"What? What is it?" Hirde's voice was breathless with worry, but she crawled forward, grabbing his arm. Immediately he felt his glamour- his magic that disguised certain aspects of himself- fade, and- more notably- the grabbing hands release him with a scorned hiss of empty lungs. He gasped and clung tight to the girl's arm as if it were his only hope for survival- and for him it might have been- even as he tuned in to the voices of the others. From the talk, he began to piece together what was happening under cover of darkness, though he could never puzzle out the whole of it, afterwards.  
  
"Dammit! What the hell'd she do to my Deathscythe?! What the hell *was* that?!"  
  
"Where is Prince Quatre?"  
  
"I think I saw him over there, with Trowa. Don't worry, Hirde's going over there, too."  
  
A yelp, as someone attacked, then a barely suppressed hiss of pain. Someone backed off.  
  
"Don't touch him."  
  
"Ah… thanks, Hee-chan!"  
  
"Hn." A bit strained.  
  
Suddenly, "What's that sound?"  
  
"Oh, Goddess, I think something's got me."  
  
"Solo! Get to Hirde. She's the only one who can-" a gasp.  
  
"These things are-"  
  
"Light! We need a light! Hurry!"  
  
"Bukkenn! Earth-Diggers!"  
  
"Oh, Lord-"  
  
"The dark- the walls- don't let them get-"  
  
"Duo!"  
  
A blaze of emerald light. Frantic breathing.  
  
"I'm fine. Get Heero, quick!"  
  
"Already done."  
  
"Woah. Nice goin', Ireia."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"I think… they're gone. For now."  
  
"For now." Dorothy's voice agreed. "But you won't live long enough to witness their Second Coming." A smirk tainted her hissed statement.  
  
"Wait…" in hushed tones, Solo countered, as if in deep thought, "Duo… the third altar, the one on the right… If I remember correctly- we need to get her place both hands on the altar! It's the only way to stop her!"  
  
"Right!" a bit doubtful, but-  
  
The sounds of a struggle, mixed with frantic hissing.  
  
"Wu, a little help here?"  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Hurry… Up!"  
  
Scuffling. Growling. Meshed noises, all mixing together.  
  
"There!"  
  
An expectant pause. Chuckling begins to be heard, floating around the room.  
  
"A valiant effort. I see your Human child has been brushing up on his 'Sithi' myths," purring, violent voice, "unfortunately, not all myths-" a sharp attack, viscous backlash, "-are TRUE!"  
  
Two startled gasps. Connection, then fall. Psychotic embrace, violent struggle.  
  
"Oh, God! Duo! Be careful!"  
  
"Maxwell! If you get yourself killed, I think Yuy here will shoot you."  
  
"Thanks…" a grunt, "Wu. You're…" twist, pull, "a great help!"  
  
Victory light. An opening. A chance, taken.  
  
"Hirde! Now! Touch her!"  
  
Realization. Pull back, pull back!  
  
Reach her. Hurry, skin. Find bare skin!  
  
Aha! There!  
  
Done.  
  
-----  
  
In a daze, Quatre saw the torches light again, and Hirde stand from kneeling over the unmoving body of Dorothy. The girl made her way to him, reaching out and running one hand down the length of the Barrier Bubble, and again. The spell thinned, then disappeared altogether, and Hirde pushed forwards to the once-trapped occupant, placing a hand on either side of his face and staring at the vacant eyes. Immediately, the injuries with had been lashed across the martial artist's body disappeared- illusion of a very powerful sort. It took a moment longer, but the pained look and Trowa's fine-featured face faded as well, and the taller youth's eyes closed as he slipped into a deeper, more restful sleep than before.  
  
One brush of Hirde's fingertips on the ancient steel cuff hooked to the wall unlocked them- clasped together by magic as well, no less. Trowa slumped forward, and Quatre caught his body, relieved to finally hold him in his arms and feel no pain. The blonde flashed a faint, grateful smile at Hirde, then suddenly realized how exhausted he was, and leaned back against the now comforting stone wall, letting his mind be washed away by the peaceful waves of Trowa's already slumbering one.  
  
His last thought before he floated off into sleep, like a tiny boat pushed out onto a great black ocean, was: "Whatever will Father make of all this?"  
  
-----  
  
*looks up from her computer screen groggily* Huh? Wha-?  
  
Oh. Hullo. I have to say this was the most difficult chapter yet. I can't write battle scenes for my life, but please tell me what you think of all this. At least *that's* finished. Now all I have is an epilogue, which shouldn't be more that 3,000 words, if I can even stretch it *that* far.  
  
Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I posted a chapter. That's why I decided to reward my patient readers with a chapter almost double the size of a normal one. ^.^ Over 9,000 words, this is! *is exhausted*  
  
[1] Gibdo and ReDead- Yeah, yeah, so I have a thing for Zelda. So bite me. I wasn't really planning on including Gibdo in this until I actually got the group into the tunnels- they just seemed to pop up from there. ^.^;  
  
[2] Duo's control of his hair like another limb - An idea not unlike that from the Gundam Wing story 'Marked for Death', which I discovered on Fanfiction.net. Quite an enjoyable read, I must say. ^.^ And this particular power derives from Duo being full Sidhe and all, though it's not his Hand of Power. ^.^  
  
C&C always appreciated no da!  
  
Nozomi 


	5. Epilogue

~Can't you see?  
  
There's a feeling that's come over me  
  
Close my eyes  
  
You're the only one that leaves me completely breathless  
  
No need to wonder why  
  
Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny  
  
'Cause I wanted to fly, so you gave me your wings  
  
And time held its breath so I could see, yeah  
  
You set me free...~ -Michelle Branch, "You Set Me Free"  
  
  
  
He felt rather than saw the brightness behind his closed eyelids, and decided immediately that he need not get up just yet.  
  
Unfortunately for him, a certain *someone* had ears like a cat; damn him for it, anyway!  
  
"Hey guys, I think he's finally waking up!"  
  
A vague stirring of déjà vu struck his still-sleeping mind, but he ignored it and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
"Q-man, wakey wakey!"  
  
No such luck, Duo.  
  
". Trowa's here," that voice said suggestively, and Quatre's eyes popped open instantly. He threw a hand over his aching eyes and sat up, glancing around, as memories of the past few days flew through his mind.  
  
He was in a bed; *his* bed to be exact.  
  
/Silent gratitude./  
  
Hm? What was that?  
  
~You're still tired?~  
  
Oh. Trowa. He turned and smiled at the brunette youth, very much relieved to see him.  
  
~Are you.?~  
  
~Perfectly all right. They were all reversible spells, Quatre. No physical harm done.~  
  
He could feel the mental smirk that came with that reassuring blurb of thought. Trowa seemed to be taking the whole magic thing rather well.  
  
~I'm so sorry, I'm the one that did this to you, forgive me-~ he began, but a silent, soft retribution cut his thought off.  
  
~No harm done, Quatre.~ Trowa repeated. ~And it wasn't it your fault.~  
  
Quatre couldn't even *begin* to deny that statement as he was suddenly assaulted with an ecstatic bundle of Hirde, as the shorthaired girl proceeded to latch onto him in her relief. He choked and attempted to push her away as he felt his magic leak away from him, and his strength along with it, but she was attached to him like a leech. Thankfully, Duo got the message in time and pulled his friend back, fast.  
  
Before the longhaired youth could go off into a rant about the dangers of latching on to someone who was depending on magic to keep him alive at the moment, however, the door opened, and in walked his sister and Wufei. Out of the corner of his eye, Quatre spotted Duo leaning closer to Heero, as if purposefully trying to antagonize his past lover. In fact, he probably *was*.  
  
Wufei's dark eyes made a quick scan of the room and it's occupants, before alighting upon Quatre. There was something very depressing in that gaze, and even more so in the words that followed.  
  
"You're father requests the presence of everyone involved in the incident. Now."  
  
-----  
  
Quatre nervously slipped into a respectable outfit for a meeting with the King, no matter that it was his own father that had summoned him. He also made sure to build a mental wall around his link with Trowa; it wouldn't do for them to be messing around in each other's heads right at this moment, and he didn't want the taller boy to realize how nervous he really was. An official meeting with his father was not to be blown off.  
  
As Wufei escorted them to the throne room, he explained a bit to Quatre, talking low so that the others would not hear.  
  
"I have informed the King of what has occurred as of late, not including the. Bonding between you and Barton, and excluding some facts that will have better use later. Dorothy has yet to be punished, but that will happen soon enough. Right now I am more worried about your safety, Prince Quatre. When he finds out about the Bonding, I am afraid." at that point, he paused for a long moment, and the blonde looked at him encouragingly as they fast approached the large doors. "You're father is not a very forgiving man," Wufei continued after a moment, "He will be displeased, to say the least, even though it was by no means either of your faults."  
  
"But, why-?"  
  
"I have not yet told him of your. preferences, Quatre," Wufei replied to his only half-spoken query, to the blonde's immediate worry.  
  
Oh, crap.  
  
-----  
  
"Heero." Trowa pulled the Prussian-eyed youth aside even as they made their way to where wherever Wufei was taking them.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
". Something's up."  
  
All he got for *that* was a slightly raised eyebrow. He continued.  
  
"Quatre. he's done something. Something with his mind. He's cut me off, somehow. I can't tell what he's thinking anymore."  
  
"And that worries you?"  
  
"Yes. He wouldn't do something like that unless he was anxious about something."  
  
". I'll look into it."  
  
-----  
  
Quatre felt a major headache coming on as they reached the doors to the throne room, but he ignored it. He had much bigger problems to worry about.  
  
Inside, the blonde spotted both Rila and Erts standing on opposite sides of his father- and both were smirking rather maliciously. The word 'bode' came to mind right about then- as in, this did not bode well. Those two weren't stupid, not by far.  
  
"His Highness, Prince Quatre Reberba Winner." Wufei announced, as was proper court conduct. "And his compatriots: Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Ireia Winner, Hirde Schebeiker, and-" the onyx eyes widened as he realized Duo was nowhere in sight, and he forgot to request the full name of the other human, "-Solo." From the look in the eyes of the King's guardsman, Wufei severely wanted to include himself in that list, but couldn't until the King had heard the whole story.  
  
Everyone began talking at once.  
  
"Father, look at that, he's lowered himself to the level of mere Humans-"  
  
"That one, that human- she dared attack a loyal minion of the House of Winner-"  
  
"Sir, I may not be familiar with your kingdom's laws, but-"  
  
"She's lying, Dorothy attacked *us* first-"  
  
"Father, you *must* have them punished-"  
  
"I think it's safe to say that *someone* has violated them in trying to kill Quatre-"  
  
"How dare she, the little brat, she can't accuse *us* of-"  
  
"*Enough*! Dorothy is already being punished, though for *what*, exactly, I'm not sure." Milan Winner shouted, voice instantly calling everyone to order. "Now, *what* is the meaning of this?!"  
  
"Father-" Erts began, only to be cut off, her blue eyes flashing with irritation.  
  
"Apollyon."  
  
"Lord?"  
  
"Report."  
  
"Yes, Lord." Wufei sent a searing glance in Quatre's direction, then turned his gaze back to the King. "Highness, I believe that the Prince and his compatriots, including myself, were only just recently involved in a rather complicated assassination attempt on the part of the Prince."  
  
A silence pervaded the atmosphere for a moment, the eyes of Milan Winner sweeping over all present. "That is a very serious charge, Captain of the Guard. But first, tell me, who do you believe responsible for all of this?"  
  
"It is my belief that it was planned and put forth by the combined efforts of. Erts Bihari Winner and Rila Nahum Winner, along with the help of the expert assassin, Dorothy Catalonia."  
  
Erts hissed at him then, a wild, feral sound that was drowned out by Rila's instant protests. "Father, we did no such thing! You know we'd never purposefully try to hurt one of our own. Quatre is our brother!"  
  
"Only in blood," was Wufei's low reply, so soft that Quatre doubted anyone but he had heard it.  
  
"Why don't-" Erts silky voice interrupted the others, stilling them into a brief silence, "-you ask them what they're trying to hide, Father? Why don't-" she cut off Wufei's next heated remark with a practiced ease, "-you ask them just what exactly spurred them to go traipsing about the kingdom with no one but Wufei as an escort.?" she purred, assured of her success.  
  
"I think I can answer that."  
  
A new voice; gazes turned to the doors, where Duo was just entering, movements the same silken grace that Dorothy had exhibited earlier. The longhaired youth had changed into a skintight, jet-black outfit in his absence, and his body seemed to glow with an inner light- evidence that he was actually Sidhe, and not hiding it anymore. Instead of his customary braid, Duo's hair was now pulled back into a loose ponytail, and in his slender hands he carried Deathscythe- position not threatening, but not docile either. He was smirking as he moved to casually lean against the wall, and that sign was the only thing that reminded Quatre of the Duo he had met in Tokyo not long before.  
  
"Duo Maxwell, fellow compatriot of Prince Quatre." Wufei stated after a tense silence, sullen note barely suppressed in his voice. "Former member of the King's Guard."  
  
"And also formerly known as Shinigami, isn't that right, Wu-bear?" Duo added, eyes closed as if in thought or weariness, though neither was true. The smirk didn't leave his face for an instant. "And, as I was saying: the reason that Quatre over there was, as you so gently put it, 'traipsing about the kingdom' was because a mutual friend of ours, Trowa Barton, had been captured and put through severe torture by one Dorothy Catalonia. She was using him to get to Quatre, who she successfully Bonded without either of their consents."  
  
All eyes flew to the stunned visage of the King, who gazed at each of the Humans in turn. His eyes were hard as he finally asked, "Which one of you is this 'Trowa'?"  
  
The tall youth stepped forward silently, usual non-expression on his face.  
  
"Is this true, Trowa Barton?"  
  
"I am not familiar with the full extent of the ceremony you speak of," he stated truthfully, "but, yes, I believe it is."  
  
A silence as Milan Winner contemplated this, then: "Quatre."  
  
"Yes, Father?" the small blonde stepped forward to stand next to Trowa, reaching out and linking their hands together in a seemingly unconscious gesture. The strong grip of the taller youth's hand on his own served to calm his churning insides just the tiniest bit.  
  
"What do you have to say for yourself, and for all of this?"  
  
Quatre swallowed roughly, nervous, "It's true, Father. Trowa and I are Bonded. It was Dorothy who did it; she kidnapped Trowa and." he couldn't continue on that train of thought for long. ". She tried to kill me several times. If it hadn't been for Trowa and everyone else, she would have succeeded."  
  
A hard glance, cast at Rila and then Erts.  
  
"That doesn't mean anything, Father! I had no idea that any of this was going on!" Rila protested, eyes wary.  
  
"You did, Madam." Wufei corrected. "And I can prove it." His black gaze was intense on her nervous form, "/S'hue/."  
  
At the softly spoken command, a dark light began to emanate from the girl's body, and she gasped as the sword she had stolen from Wufei floated upward from her and into the youth's waiting grasp. Wufei had to admit, it felt very, very good to have his blade back.  
  
"That proves nothing!" Rila shrieked, voice high.  
  
"Perhaps not." Ireia finally spoke up, staring with disgust at her sisters. "But the fact that Dorothy got her hands on the sword Forswythe sure says something, doesn't it?" Quatre's sister was right; Forswythe could only be wielded properly by a member of the Royal Family, or someone who was given it by one.  
  
"She *what*?!" the King demanded, eyes gazing accusingly on Erts and Rila. The two girls backed up a step, in unison, eyes wide. They'd been found out, finally.  
  
"Father, we only wanted-"  
  
"It wasn't fair that he-"  
  
The King's eyes darkened, clouding over, and suddenly the two were encased in clear, rose-tinted capsules. Their cries were instantly cut off, and no sound at all came from them, even when they began pounding on the smooth, unbroken surface. The Winner family wasn't the ruler for nothing; theirs was a long line of the most powerful Sidhe around, and Milan Winner's power had not faded over time.  
  
"They will be suitably punished." He assured as the pair disappeared with two small bursts of light, and Quatre winced; he didn't even want to know how that was going to come about. "Now, Apollyon."  
  
"Yes, Lord?"  
  
The King's hands linked, fingers forming a steeple as he thought. "The Bond. it is between the two of them?" he gestured towards Quatre and Trowa, the latter of the two having moved behind the blonde and placed an encouraging grip on either shoulder. Wufei nodded affirmatively.  
  
"And how long has it been?"  
  
"My estimate would be between two and three days, Highness." At this, Quatre jerked, startled. This was the first he'd heard about how long he'd been asleep; apparently, it had been awhile.  
  
"And, by any stretch of the imagination, could the link possibly be broken?"  
  
The Prince's eyes widened, and he started forward, but Trowa's grip restrained him, and instead he sank back into that comforting embrace. They couldn't. They wouldn't.  
  
Wufei hesitated, and his eyes hardened ever so slightly. "It *is* possible, your Highness, but I would not recommend it."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"The Bonding ritual is meant to be for life, Highness, and at this stage, severing a mental link could cause both of them great pain, and could mentally damage or even kill them both."  
  
An expulsion of breath. "And so you would have me just sit back and do nothing as the sole male heir to the UnSeelie kingdom is taken from it? You know as well as I do that a marriage contract between royalty that will one day inherit the throne is not complete unless the partners have Bonded." His eyes lighted upon his son and his Bond, eyebrows raising in small shock as Quatre, not noticing the eyes upon him, guided Trowa's arms to rest loosely around the smaller youth's waist as he buried himself further in that encompassing embrace. "And what's this?"  
  
The blonde jerked guiltily in Trowa's arms at his father's inquisitive voice. Uh oh.  
  
"Father, I-"  
  
"Majesty," Duo suddenly and unexpectedly broke from his uncharacteristic silence, sidling up to the pair. "When Bonded, one tends to acquire very close feelings to the other. Quatre may not have willingly acquiesced to the ritual, however, it may have worked out for the best. Trowa is a good person; I understand that you have need of an heir, but, from what I understand, you have a choice between twenty-nine others, at least two of which have great potential. These two. well, they like it's other. It's pretty obvious, ne?" he grinned his usual joker-grin at that.  
  
"I can see that." Milan managed at last. "I never expected something like *this* to happen. And, if this were any other circumstance, I would certainly agree-"  
  
"Father." Ireia stepped forward, laying a warm hand on her little brother's shoulder. "Weren't you the one who kept telling us that we need to fight for what we believe in? Everyone's rooting for Quatre, and I for one believe in him." This profession caused Quatre to smile gratefully up at her, but she wasn't quite finished. "And, if it's that important to Quatre, I'm sure we could find someone else, don't you? You know he's never enjoyed being cooped up here."  
  
The words elicited just a nod from her father, but he retreated into contemplative thought for a moment. ". Wufei?"  
  
"Lord, I believe Lady Ireia is correct. With the Bond, it would be hard enough to mold him into what you wish him to be. Master Quatre will never live up to your expectations because he is not what you think he is. He is his own person, with different feelings than you. He is not just a projection of you. If you tell him to stay, he will do it, but."  
  
". Yes." The King said at last. "I understand. Quatre. if this weren't just like it is, perhaps I would force you to stay, on the pretense that you cannot know your own heart so thoroughly in such a short time. But I know the Bond hides nothing, and cannot lie to you. You are free to go, as long as you will give me your word to help me find a replacement." A smile was beginning to form on the King's face, and it was revealed fully as the room erupted in cheers. Well, they were mostly Duo's cries, but it was still very loud.  
  
"Yeah! Go Q-man!" the longhaired Sidhe cried, slapping Trowa jovially on the back and winking suggestively before bounding over to Wufei and wrapping him up in a hug. The raven-haired Sidhe stiffened in the embrace, surprised, before he pushed Duo roughly away with a warning growl.  
  
"Maxwell."  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Wu, it's just a celebratory hug, no big deal! You were great, man!"  
  
And then, Wufei actually *blushed*. Duo recovered from the surprise of *that* instant rather quickly, and he smirked and reached over to give his ex-lover a pat on the head. Another growl.  
  
"Maxwell!"  
  
He lunged, ready to strangle Duo with his own braid, but Heero suddenly whirled the longhaired youth around. Duo came face-to-face with a pair of striking Prussian eyes, startled, but beginning to smirk as a pair of soft, warm lips descended upon his own, giving into the insistent mouth on his. He broke away only long enough to glance for a moment at first the smiling pair of Hirde and Solo, then Trowa and Quatre, the little blonde resting comfortably in his bondmate's embrace, before he let out one more suggestive comment and went back to the task at hand.  
  
"C'mon, you two, it's time for the obligatory happy-ending kiss!"  
  
This startled the two out of the contented tranquility their minds had been sharing, and, realizing what had just been suggested, Quatre's cheeks began to burn a bright red. Still, he turned in Trowa's embrace, heart beginning to beat faster and eyes caught by the warmth in the forest green ones of the taller youth. He didn't know who leaned closer first, but suddenly their noses were touching, and their breath intermingling in soft gusts of air and- he tilted his head slightly, and came into contact with a warm pair of lips that rested hesitantly against his own for a moment- as if afraid of hurting him- before beginning to move, slowly and carefully. His eyes slid shut, and Quatre barely heard the whoops of appreciation from the ecstatic longhaired boy as he and Trowa gently embraced, mouths moving together and linked minds connecting in a more intimate fashion, as they enjoyed the warmth of each other's form.  
  
And, this time, there were no interruptions. Quatre was infinitely glad for that.  
  
  
  
OWARI 


End file.
